Army Gen. Joseph Votel told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee that, if confirmed as the next commander of US Central Command,? he would “look very carefully” at the United States’ strategy to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria. “I do have concerns about our broader strategy against ISIL, about how we are applying resources, and how we are focusing our authorities, about how we are leveraging all of the required instruments of government—our own and our partners—in going after that,” said Votel during his March 9 nomination hearing. Votel acknowledged that the situation in the two countries is “extraordinarily different” because the US has a partner and established government in Iraq and not in Syria. Votel, who currently leads US Special Operations Command, also agreed with comments by US European Command boss Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove that ISIS is “weaponizing the refugee crisis to break up the European Union,” but said he did not support a no-fly zone over Syria at this time. Votel said he shares the committee’s concern about the humanitarian crisis and he “looked at what the potential options are,” but he must conduct a “more complete” assessment to “ensure that they will achieve the end states that we truly desire.” (See Votel’s answers to advanced questions from the committee.)
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…
