Obama Administration officials pledged a continued security partnership with Afghanistan beyond the US military drawdown in 2014 in a draft agreement with the Afghan government. “We’ve committed to an enduring presence and this agreement makes clear that we will have that presence there beyond 2014,” stated Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, announcing the tentative agreement on April 23. The size of the US military footprint is still under negotiation but “the United States is committed to an enduring presence in Afghanistan that will be there to help Afghanistan to become a country that can securely govern itself,” he stressed. Congress must now review and advise on the draft document before it passes to the President for signing. “Once these internal processes are complete, we expect to be in a position to sign the agreement” hopefully ahead of next month’s NATO summit in Chicago, stated the White House. (AFPS report by Jim Garamone)
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…
