Polish air force C-130s earlier this month made the NATO ally’s first appearance in a Red Flag training event, flying alongside Australian, German, Japanese, and USAF assets from JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, announced base officials. Flying through Alaska’s mountains is “a completely new experience” for Polish mobility crews, providing excellent training for combined operations in Afghanistan, said Polish navigator Capt. Slawomir Lis in Elmendorf-Richardson’s June 14 release. Surface-to-air radar and air defense threats on the nearby Alaska Pacific Range Complex also lent crews their first practical experience using the aircraft’s self-defense suite in a combat environment, noted Polish aircraft commander Maj. Jaroslaw Gozdalski. “This was the first opportunity to check our [radar warning receiver] . . . because the ranges are equipped with emitters that simulate real threats,” he added. This Red Flag-Alaska iteration began on June 7 and runs through June 22. (Elmendorf-Richardson report by SSgt. Zachary Wolf)
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…
