Defense Secretary Robert Gates yesterday recommended that Air Force Lt. Gen. Douglas Fraser become the next head of US Southern Command. Fraser, who has been deputy commander of US Pacific Command since last April, would be the first Air Force leader of SOUTHCOM, if the Senate confirms his subsequent nomination. He would succeed Adm. James Stavridis, who Gates tapped yesterday to take over US European Command (see below). SOUTHCOM has oversight of the US military’s activities in Central and South America, including counter-drug operations. (AFPS report by Jim Garamone)
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…
