Ever single line item under the budget remains under heavy review, as the Defense Department and the rest of the federal government look to shave costs and reduce the nation’s debt, said Air Force Secretary Michael Donley at AFA’s Air & Space Conference Monday. Roughly 40 percent of the Air Force’s budget is dedicated to personnel costs, so that means coveted items such as health care and benefits must also be considered, he added. “We need to make sure that the compensation earned is sustainable over the long haul,” said Donley. However, he echoed previous comments by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, saying any changes to pensions and other benefits are likely to be grandfathered for today’s airmen.
Air Force Conducts Test Launch of Minuteman III ICBM
May 21, 2025
The Air Force tested an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif,. at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time May. 21. The successful test saw the missile equipped with a single reentry vehicle travel more than 4,200 miles to strike a test site near Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall…