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Air Force met its recruiting goals for April, matching its plan to attract 2,435 new accessions, according to figures that the Department of Defense released May 12. In fact, all of the services met or exceeded their goals for the month, once again dispelling fears of a slow recruiting year. And for the third month in a row, the Air National Guard exceeded its goals, attracting an additional 203 recruits. The Air Force Reserve surpassed its goal by one recruit.
House lawmakers unveiled a new reconciliation package July 15 with $60 billion for defense, $290 billion less than the Pentagon has been seeking, a day after a Senate vote to advance the annual defense policy bill failed—developments that show the perilous state of the Pentagon’s ambitious plans for fiscal 2027.