The day after ISIS terrorists announced the execution of a captured Jordanian pilot, Defense Secretary nominee Ashton Carter promised the Senate Armed Services Committee he would work to speed both lethal and non-?lethal aid to the Jordanian government in Amman. SASC Chair Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Jordan’s King Abdullah met with senators Tuesday prior to returning to Jordan, noting the king had expressed frustration in getting deliveries of certain weapons, such as munitions and spare parts, from the US. Carter said if confirmed he would work to identify the problems and “resolve them,” adding that when he was deputy secretary of defense he experienced frustration with getting equipment to US troops in Afghanistan, as well. The news of the Jordanian pilot’s death came the same day Secretary of State John Kerry and Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judah signed a bilateral assistance agreement stipulating the US would raise its foreign assistance to the kingdom from $600 million a year to $1 billion, to cover programs ranging from assistance for the country’s Syrian refugee crisis to economic support to “technical help and security.” The SASC also released a joint letter Wednesday that pressed the White House for answers and seeks a briefing on the state of foreign military assistance to the country.
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…
