The Air Force plans to stop separating new active duty officers into two groups—reserve and regular. Depending on how an officer entered the service, he or she received a reserve or regular commission. An officer with a reserve commission had to be selected for appointment to the regular Air Force, usually at the time he or she made major. Since May 2005, all new officers have entered active duty in regular status. And, on May 1, 2006, USAF plans to automatically convert all current officers, unless they have some medical condition that prevents their service worldwide.
House, Senate Unveil Competing Proposals for 2026 Budget
July 11, 2025
Lawmakers from the House and Senate laid out competing versions of the annual defense policy bill on July 11, with vastly different potential outcomes for some of the Air Force’s most embattled programs.