May/June 2026

Vol. 109, No. 5

Highlights from the May/June 2026 Issue

2026 USAF and USAF Almanac

The latest breakdown of the Air Force and Space Force by the numbers, with updated organization tables, weapons profiles, and more.

Military Human Spaceflight is Key to Future U.S. Space Superiority

The United States and China are competing in a modern-day space race with generational strategic consequences at play, both in space and on Earth. And at this moment in time, China—not the United States—is positioned to dominate. To change that...

WORLD: Budget

Inside the $1.5T Budget Request By Greg Hadley, Matthew Cox, Steve Losey The Trump administration’s record-breaking $1.5 trillion defense budget request for fiscal 2027 would represent a $441 billion increase over the fiscal 2026 budget, a 44 percent jump that...

AFA IN ACTION: AFA Debuts ‘Salute to Space,’ Launching Annual Tradition

The Air & Space Forces Association hosted the inaugural ‘Salute to Space’ on May 1 with senior Space Force leaders and distinguished guests in attendance. The salute, held on International Space Day, focused on the legacy of Gen. Bernard Schriever...

WORLD: Rescue

We’ll Bring You Home: USAF’s Unwritten Contract with Every Combat Pilot By Matthew Cox and Stephen Losey When a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran and its pilot and weapons systems officer ejected into unfriendly territory in...

Editorial: Go Big on Airpower

By Tobias Naegele

The Pentagon’s record $1.5 trillion defense budget reveals interesting differences in how each service seeks to spend its share of this trove of national treasure. The Army and Navy are going big on procurement. The Space Force is investing across...

2026 USAF & USSF Almanac: DAF Personnel

DAF Total Force End Strength As of Sept. 30, 2025 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 Estimate Requested USAF Active Duty Officers 62,640 63,902 64,245 64,873 64,941 60,744 60,508 61,437 62,581 62,700 Enlisted 258,978 263,976 265,369...

2026 USAF & USSF Almanac: DOD Personnel

DOD Personnel DOD Personnel DOD Total Force End Strength As of Sept. 30, 2025 | In thousands ← scroll right to see all years → Fiscal Year / Category 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025...

2026 USAF & USSF Almanac: Pay & Allowances

ANNUAL MILITARY BASIC PAY (Effective April. 1, 2025) Grade 2 3 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 Commissioned Officers O-10 — — — — — — — — — — 227,999 227,999...

2026 USAF & USSF Almanac: Rank Insignia of the USAF & USSF

USAF & USSF Rank Insignia — Grades Almanac 2026 Rank Insignia United States Air Force & Space Force · Grades Almanac 2026 USAF USSF Show: All ranks Officers Warrant officers Enlisted Air Force only Space Force only ✕ Air Force...

2026 USAF & USSF ALMANAC: Awards

Awards and Decorations Shown in order of precedence · Click any ribbon for details Highest Honors Medal of Honor (AF)#1 Air Force Cross#2 Defense Distinguished Service Medal#3 Distinguished Service Medal (AF)#4 Silver Star#5 Service Medals Defense Superior Service Medal#6 Legion...

2026 USAF & USSF ALMANAC: USAF Major Commands

USAF Major Commands USAF Major Commands Click any command for details — 5 Institutional · 10 Service Component Chief of Staff of the Air Force Institutional Commands — Organize, Train & Equip ACC Air Combat Command AFMC Materiel Command AETC...

2026 USAF & USSF ALMANAC: Leaders

Air Force Leaders Through the Years USAF & USSF Almanac 2026 · Pages 82–89 The Nation’s Air Arm & Its Early Leaders Designation / Title Commander From To Aeronautical Division, US Signal Corps · Aug. 1, 1907 – July 18,...

MAP: Every Air Force and Space Force Installation

USAF & USSF Global Installation Locator 2026 All Active Reserve Guard Range USSF Overseas 🔍 Showing 0 installations Filter by Command ▼ U.S. View World View × Active Reserve Guard Range USSF Overseas

2026 USAF & USSF ALMANAC: Active Duty Wings

2026 USAF & USSF ALMANAC: DAF Structure

Department of the Air Force — Organization Chart The Department of the Air Force includes the Air Force & Space Force. Almanac 2026 Troy E. Meink Secretary of the Air Force Matthew L. Lohmeier Undersecretary of the Air Force Secretariat...

2026 USAF & USSF Almanac: Spending

The annual defense budget is prepared by the Department of Defense, reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, and then submitted to Congress. Yet it is Congress that has the final say. The House and Senate must...

2026 USAF & USSF Almanac Equipment: Total Aircraft Inventory (TAI)

USAF Equipment – Aircraft TAI & ICBMs Aircraft Total Active Inventory (TAI) As of Sept. 30, 2025 ← Scroll right to see all columns → Aircraft / System Active Force ANG AFRC Total Avg. Age Bomber B-1B Lancer 45 0...

2026 USAF & USSF Almanac:FOAs, DRUs, & Civil Patrol

FOAs, DRUs, & Civil Air Patrol A FOA is a Field Operating Agency performing a specialized function reporting to HQ USAF. A Direct Reporting Unit (DRU) reports directly to the Chief of Staff. The Air Force Auxiliary is the Civil...

2026 USAF & USSF Almanac: U.S. Space Force Command Structure

U.S. Space Force – Organizational Chart United States Space Force Command Structure Secure our Nation's Interests In, From, and To Space Established: December 20, 2019 · Headquarters: Pentagon, Virginia Chief of Space Operations General · 4★ B. Chance Saltzman Chief...

2026 USAF & USSF Almanac: U.S. Space Force

USSF Active Duty Demographics (As of Sept. 30, 2025, except where noted with *) Enlisted Ranks E-1# E-1% E-2# E-2% E-3# E-3% E-4# E-4% E-5# E-5% E-6# E-6% E-7# E-7% E-8# E-8% E-9# E-9% Enlisted Total# Enlisted Total% Total 174...

2026 USAF & USSF ALMANAC: USSF Historical Lineage

USSF Historical Lineage The U.S. Space Force traces its roots to the beginning of the Cold War, with the first Air Force space programs starting in 1945. Military space forces were unified when Air Force Space Command was established in...

Faces of the Force

The 857th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron invited 19 foster teens, from ages 14 to 17, to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., on April 3 to be part of an “Airman for a Day” tour. The day included visits to the MXG...

Letters

We love letters! Write to us at letters@afa.org. To be published, letters should be timely, relevant and concise. Include your name and location. Letters may be edited for space and the editors have final say on which are published. Foresight...

Verbatim

A Heroes Toast “These 80 young Americans were extraordinary in every single way—not just on the day of that operation but on the lives they led after that. In 1942, when this … creative operation was conceived it showed the...

WORLD: Space Force

Space Force Accelerates On-Orbit Refueling By Courtney Albon As the Space Force makes plans for two on-orbit refueling and maneuver demonstrations in 2027—and closely watches similar government and commercial endeavors—the service official overseeing the effort says he want to take...

WORLD: Iran

Epic Fury’s Epic Cost: $29B By Chris Gordon The cost of operations against Iran has risen to $29 billion, a senior Pentagon official told lawmakers May 12, a $4 billion increase from the Department of Defense’s last public estimate two...

WORLD: Air

USAF Tests New Air-to-Air Missile By Stephen Losey The military’s secretive new air-to-air missile appears to have been publicly photographed for the first time during testing. A missile matching previously released information and renders of the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical...