B-52s from Minot AFB, N.D., flew 40 conventional bombing sorties in four days without scrubbing a single sortie during Prairie Warrior in late November. “Just weeks after coming out of succeeding in a large-scale nuclear exercise, we accomplished our base’s largest conventional exercise of the year, and we crushed it,” said 5th Bomb Wing Commander Col. Jason Armagost in a Dec. 3 release. With 16 available B-52s, Minot’s 5th Bomb Wing flew 12 sorties the first day of Exercise Prairie Warrior, 10 sorties on both the second and third day, and eight sorties on the final day, dropping a total of 119 munitions, according to the wing. “A B-52’s normal flying rhythm is every other day,” said 69th Aircraft Maintenance Unit supervisor SMSgt. Paul Crisostomo. “Our ability to be able to fly a jet one day and turn around and fly it 12 hours later speaks volumes,” he added. Prairie Warrior ran Nov. 17-20.
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…
