The powerful chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s defense panel, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), continues to sound a warning bell that defense spending cuts must come and, according to a Government Executive report, suggests that the now rosy recruiting environment could do without enlistment bonuses created when enlistment numbers were sagging. Speaking Dec. 10 at the Center for American Progress, Murtha said, “If we draw down [forces in Iraq], we ought to be able to get rid of the bonuses.” That’s not all on his scope, though, since Murtha also wants to “figure out a way to fix the acquisition process” and says “the [emergency war] supplements have got to go.”
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…
