T
he just released May recruiting numbers show that the Air National Guard recorded its weakest month so far this fiscal year, making only 77 percent of its goal of 955 accessions. The Air Guard has fallen short of its goals for the last four months. Both the active and reserve numbers are down for the Army. The other services met or exceeded—in the case of the Marine Corps—their goals for the past month. According to the Pentagon, the Air Guard’s strong retention is keeping it at 99 percent of its end strength.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
