Airmen from the 66th Rescue Squadron and 763rd Maintenance Squadron returned home to Nellis AFB, Nevada. Arriving via commercial charter on Wednesday, they were the last USAF rescue units to come home from duty in Iraq, a Nellis spokesperson confirmed to the Daily Report. Many of these airmen deployed constantly on four- to eight-month rotations since Operation Iraqi Freedom kicked off in March 2003. “It’s almost like Christmas, coming home every time,” said HH-60 Pave Hawk pilot Capt. Ben Buchta, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I honestly thought I would probably be out of the Air Force before we’d be out of Iraq,” he added. Some of the most heavily deployed career fields in the Air Force over the last decade, these pararescue jumpers, rescue crews, and maintainers have rotated constantly between Iraq, Afghanistan, home station, and other trouble spots in Southwest Asia. (See also Las Vegas’ KNTV report.)
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…
