Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has asked South Korea to pony up more for US forces on the peninsula as Seoul pushes for greater control in a new command relationship. The Korea Times reports that Rumsfeld wrote in a letter to South Korean officials that Seoul should shoulder an “equitable” portion of the country’s defense. Rumsfeld also noted that the US would prefer to shift operational control by 2009, but Seoul wants to wait until 2012.
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.
