A US Air Force C-17 flew 110 Iraqi children and 97 parents and guardians from Amman, Jordan, to Baghdad, Iraq, to support Operation Smile—an international non-governmental organization that helps provide corrective surgery for cleft palate and cleft lip birth defects. Leaders of Operation Smile contacted DOD to request assistance to provide safe airlift for Iraqi patients and their parents. Many of the kids had never been in an aircraft before, much less a C-17. “You see all the children with the smiles on their faces. I’m glad to be a part of this,” said Lt. Col. Chris Carlsen, the aircraft’s commander.
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
