Increased global threats at a time when the Active Duty Air Force is the smallest it’s ever been have meant the Air National Guard is “very busy,” ANG Director Lt. Gen. Stanley Clarke said at ASC15 on Wednesday. “As the Air Force gets smaller, the Air National Guard held its own,” he said, adding that the one-to-five deployment-to-home station time “doesn’t apply anymore.” The Air Force is studying the mix of Active Duty to ANG and Air Force Reserve and found USAF “is about 12 percent short of being able to provide the number of deployments” and assets required by combatant commanders, said Air Staff plans and requirements boss Lt. Gen. Mike Holmes. “The bottom line is, I’m not hearing any complaints out of the Guard, they’re very proud of what they do, they want to continue to serve,” said Clarke, but he cautioned that nothing looks to change anytime soon. “When does a big heap of money come in and grow the force structure? We don’t see that, so we’re trying to make sure we strike the right balance,” he said.
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…
