President Bush and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld feted employers who have gone to extraordinary lengths to support their deployed Guard and Reserve workers. Factors leading to their selection ranged from providing pay differentials to extending health care. Sixteen employers received 2005 Secretary of Defense Freedom Awards. Read the list here.
The Pentagon’s fiscal 2026 defense budget, submitted to Congress last week, accelerates the downsizing of the U.S. Air Force. It proposes divesting 340 aircraft, while only acquiring 76. These cuts risk the Air Force’s ability to prevail.