Acting Air Force Secretary Eric Fanning and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh received an update this week on the work of the service’s Total Force Task Force, including a briefing on the group’s draft findings, according to Welsh’s office. TF2, as it is known, is charged with determining the proper mix of personnel and capabilities across the Active Duty component, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve to meet requirements within available resources. The task force’s final recommendations and report are due in early October to support the service’s Fiscal 2015 budget planning, so the briefing allowed Fanning to provide feedback before the group completes its work. In an interview last month during his tour of the Asia-Pacific region, Welsh told the Daily Report that his directive to the task force members was very plain: Push as much into the reserve components without creating too many barriers for access in the event of contingencies. Barriers and rules have built up between the Air Force’s components over the years that no longer make sense, said Welsh. As for what lies ahead, Welsh said “nobody’s going to be happy, because everyone is going to shrink.”
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
