Officials at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, say they have drilled 302 airmen in basic combat skills, preparing them for deployment in Air and Space Expeditionary Forces (AEF) 9 and 10. The Air Force now expects all airmen deploying in AEFs to get rudimentary—about 19 hours worth—of training in convoy operations, rifle fighting, and dealing with improvised explosive devices.
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.