The world isn’t moving to zero nuclear weapons anytime soon, making it imperative for the United States to proceed with modernizing and recapitalizing the nation’s nuclear deterrent force, said Lt. Gen. James Kowalski, Air Force Global Strike Command boss. Not doing so is “a risk we cannot take,” he said on Sept. 17 during the nuclear panel discussion at AFA’s Air and Space Conference in National Harbor, Md. “We must continue to be able to deter any adversary and assure any ally,” he said. Kowalski said he finds it “incredulous when people tell me we can’t afford to recapitalize the ultimate guarantee of our national sovereignty.” He noted that the Fiscal 2012 budget for AFGSC, which oversees the Air Force’s ICBM force and nuclear-capable B-2 and B-52 bombers, amounted to $4.7 billion. That was “less than 5 percent” of the Air Force’s total budget and “less than one percent” of the Defense Department’s total budget. Meanwhile, the US Postal Service operated at a loss of $15.9 billion in Fiscal 2012, he said, offering some context. “This is not a slam on the Post Office,” said Kowalski.
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…
