The US-led coalition had launched 65 airstrikes in the course of two weeks in the Fallujah area as of Friday morning, supporting operations to retake the city from ISIS, but Iraqi forces have faced heavy resistance from ISIS fighters so far, US Central Command said. “We’re watching the intensity of their resistance carefully, as this is an indicator of how hard they intend to defend and try to keep Fallujah,” CENTCOM spokesman Air Force Col. Patrick Ryder said in a phone briefing with Pentagon reporters. Iraqi forces also are working to isolate Mosul, and are involved in “tough fighting” there, he said. In Syria, Ryder said, the coalition had launched more than 55 airstrikes in five days in support of the Arab forces fighting to reclaim Manbij. Also Friday, US European Command announced that the Navy’s Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group flew multiple combat sorties in support of Operation Inherent Resolve from the Mediterranean Sea. The group had been operating out of the Central Command area of operations, though it recently had its deployment extended. The group transited the Suez Canal on June 2, EUCOM 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…
