The Selective Retention Bonus list contains only 24 specialties eligible for reenlistment bonuses, compared to 89 in fiscal year 2025.

Last fiscal year, the career fields included were: maintenance, aircrew, cyber, medical and special operations specialty codes. There are only two maintenance fields for B-52 and B-1 aircraft and three medical specialties eligible for fiscal 2026.

“The Air Force assesses manning requirements annually, updating the SRB list to retain the critical talent needed for global missions,” an Air Force spokesperson told Military Times on Friday.

The Air Force spokesperson did not comment on the drop in career fields eligible from last fiscal year.

Airmen whose specialty codes are included are eligible to receive the bonus upon reenlisting and extending their service within the SRB specialty code.

The Air Force allotted for the addition of 4,300 airmen to the SRB program in fiscal 2026, according to budget documents — a decrease from 7,077 service members in fiscal 2025. The service estimates a small bump to 4,600 airmen for fiscal 2027.

SRB zones represent the amount of years of active military service, with Zone A being up to six years of service and Zone E being 18 to 20 years.

The fiscal 2026 list is available for Department of the Air Force personnel to view on myFSS. Currently, the list is not disclosed publicly, but an Air Force official did confirm it to Military Times as shown on Air & Space Forces Magazine where it was first reported.

The maximum reenlistment bonus is set to $180,000, with a career cap of $360,000, according to the magazine.

For fiscal year 2026’s aviation bonus program, the force is offering the monetary incentive to select aviators in exchange for an active-duty service commitment, according to a Wednesday Air Force release.

The statement lists specific eligible pilots: remotely piloted aircraft pilots, air battle managers and combat systems officers among those the service wishes to “decisively shape and retain” with the bonus opportunity.

“The aviation bonus is an incentive that helps us retain expertise and ensures we have the right mix of experienced aviators to meet warfighting demands today and into the future,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach said in the release.

The fiscal 2026 aviation bonus program allows for the increase in monetary compensation to align with shorter contract lengths, especially within the fighter, bomber and U-2 groups, according to the statement.

The bonus rates depend on the aviator’s career field and experience level, but they can receive up to $50,000 a year with a minimum contract of three years and maximum of 12 years, the release reads, making a total of up to $600,000 under the maximum.

To be eligible for this bonus program, airmen need to be ranked as lieutenant colonels and below, be qualified for operational flying duty and be entitled to monthly aviation incentive pay, per the release.

The program is designated for active-duty airmen and Air Reserve Component Airmen that are serving in the Voluntary Limited Period of Active Duty Program.

“Airmen applying for these bonus programs should expect to see payments within three weeks after final approval of their application and processing by the Defense Finance Accounting Service,” according to the statement.

Eligible airmen were able to begin applying for the bonus on April 1 and have until May 31 to submit their application.

Eligibility continues as long as the household income qualifies under the USDA thresholds, until the end of the school year, said Julie Mitchell, spokesman for AAFES. Overseas, AAFES provides DOD school meal support, serving 20,000 school meals daily at 73 DOD schools in seven countries.

“If income returns to previous levels after the shutdown, families are expected to update their application or status, but there is no automatic expiration of benefits when the shutdown ends,” she said.

Parents can visit the linqconnect.com/public/meal-application/newsubmit and search for “AAFES DoDEA” to submit an application online.

Information was not immediately available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the status of funding for school meals programs in the United States, where many military children attend school. However, the School Nutrition Association cited an Oct. 24 memo from the USDA stating that $23 billion in tariff funds was transferred to USDA’s Child Nutrition Program accounts to carry out National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program and Child and Adult Care Feeding Program during the shutdown.

That association is in close touch with the USDA and state agencies to monitor potential shutdown impacts.

The School Nutrition Association is also encouraging its members to promote the free and reduced-price meal applications in their communities, to help federal workers and contractors affected by the furlough or recent federal reduction in force.

The long-awaited COLA announcement sets the rate of increase for Social Security beneficiaries, but also for military retirees and people receiving veterans benefits. The increase goes into effect in January.

The government shutdown delayed the announcement by nine days.

Nearly 71 million people receive Social Security benefits, officials said, estimating that on average, the monthly benefit will increase by $56.

As an example, a military retiree who receives $2,500 in retired pay will see a COLA increase of about $70 a month.

For a veteran receiving $1,500 per month in benefits, the increase would be about $42 in 2026.

In 2024, Congress passed legislation that ties increases in veterans’ benefits to the rate of Social Security increases. The cost-of-living increase applies to disability compensation, clothing allowances and dependency and indemnity benefits, as well as some other VA assistance programs.

The COLA is designed to make sure benefits keep pace with inflation. The calculation is based on the Consumer Price Index, which tracks the cost of a wide range of items and calculates inflation and changes in the cost of living.

The 2025 COLA, at 2.5%, was the lowest increase since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The COLA increases were 3.2% in 2023, 8.7% in 2022 and 5.9% in 2021.

In 2020, the increase was 1.6%.

Social Security officials will begin notifying individuals about their new benefit amount by mail starting in early December.

The appropriations bill topline essentially matches spending levels from the current fiscal year, leaving defense programs without any increase for inflation or cost-of-living hikes in the base budget plan.

However, the funding plan is designed to run alongside congressional reconciliation plans, which would add another $150 billion in funds for the Defense Department. Republicans assert the combination could bring total military spending for next year to nearly $1 trillion, even though those funds would be spread out over four years.

“[This bill] provides the resources necessary for maintaining American military superiority, leveraging our technological innovation into tactical advantages on the battlefield, and supporting the Defense Department’s most valuable assets: our warfighters,”said Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s defense panel.

“Together, with the significant defense funding advancing through Congress as part of the reconciliation process, the FY26 bill … [represents] a historic commitment to strengthening and modernizing America’s national defense.”

The measure calls for a 3.8% pay raise, eliminates 45,000 civilian defense jobs and allocates $13 billion to start the White House’s proposed Golden Dome missile defense program.

But Democratic lawmakers said the legislation — which could advance to the full chamber for approval later this month — still has too many gaps to support because the White House is months behind in its promise to provide a detailed budget to Congress.

“We have zip, nada, no idea where we are going,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a hearing before Tuesday’s subcommittee vote.

“Give us the details … My hope was that we could get to it before a markup.”

Hegseth said those details will be sent to lawmakers soon, but he also supported the committee moving ahead with the broad outlines of the defense spending plan.

“[The president’s plan] realigns the military to the historic strength that began in President Donald Trump’s first term and makes generational investments in the president’s priorities including developing the Golden Dome, sealing the Southwest Border, investing in the F-47, revitalizing our shipbuilding industry,” he told lawmakers.

Pay raise and personnel policies

The 3.8% pay raise matches the federal formula for the recommended annual military pay raise, a calculation that Congress has followed most years for the last two decades.

The formula is based on changes in wages for the civilian workforce and is designed to ensure that military paychecks don’t lag behind compensation for other industries. Military pay has increased by at least 2% every year since 2017, and troops have seen a pay increase annually since the 1970s.

Last January, that military pay raise was 4.5%. In addition, Congress approved a targeted pay raise for junior enlisted service members that went into effect on April 1, raising their paychecks by up to 10%.

For junior enlisted troops, a 3.8% raise in 2026 would mean about $1,200 more in take-home pay. For senior enlisted and junior officers, the raise would add about $2,500 more to their annual paychecks. An O-4 with 12 years of service would see almost $4,300 more over 2025 pay levels.

The pay increase will cost more than $6 billion next year, taking up nearly all of the planned increase in the appropriations bill’s personnel account hike. As a result, other procurement accounts are being held flat or losing funding, potentially cutting other equipment and modernization priorities.

The appropriations bill also projects $662 million in savings from “slowing permanent change of station moves,” although specifics of that plan were not released by the committee.

Democrats also objected to policy provisions in the bill blocking service personnel from traveling across state lines to seek reproductive health care, including abortion services. During former President Joe Biden’s term in office, the department helped cover the cost of such trips, calling it a force readiness issue.

Senate appropriators — both Republicans and Democrats — on Tuesday raised concerns about missing details from the White House’s defense budget plan. That chamber is expected to unveil its appropriations draft of the military budget for next year in the next few weeks.

But White House budget documents released earlier this month suggest that next year’s military pay raise will fall short of the boost many service members saw this year, and it could be the lowest paycheck hike for troops since 2022.

Trump’s remarks came during a stop at Al Udeid Air Base following a multi-day tour of the Middle East. The president touted his proposal to raise overall Defense Department spending in fiscal 2026 and said some of that money would be earmarked for another increase in troops’ pay.

“You’re a very special group of people, and that’s why my 2026 budget includes an across the board [pay boost],” he said. “There are pay raises for each and every one of you, substantial pay raises.”

He also joked that “you don’t have to take it” eliciting applause and laughs from the service members assembled for the event.

On May 2, in a letter to congressional appropriators, White House officials outlined basic spending plans for next fiscal year, including a 3.8% pay raise for troops in January 2026.

That figure matches federal formulas for the recommended annual pay raise, a calculation that Congress has followed most years for the last two decades.

The formula is based on changes in wages for the civilian workforce and is designed to ensure that military paychecks don’t lag behind compensation for other industries. Military pay has increased by at least 2% every year since 2017, and troops have seen a pay increase annually since the 1970s.

Last January, that hike was 4.5%. In addition, Congress approved a targeted pay raise for junior enlisted service members that went into effect on April 1, raising their paychecks by up to 10%.

The White House spending plan for fiscal 2026 does not include any similar targeted pay hikes for next year. House members have discussed a potential additional hike for senior enlisted troops in the near future, but the initial administration spending plan does not include that idea.

Any military pay raise still must be approved — and paid for — by Congress.

For junior enlisted troops, a 3.8% raise in 2026 would mean about $1,200 more in take-home pay. For senior enlisted and junior officers, the raise would add about $2,500 more to their annual paychecks. An O-4 with 12 years of service would see almost $4,300 more over 2025 pay levels.

Lawmakers have begun work on the annual appropriations process for next year’s federal budget but have expressed frustration during recent hearings that the full White House budget request has yet to be released. That detailed documentation is expected to be released sometime in the next few weeks.

However, House Democrats warned that maintaining that better standard of living may hinge on how many civilian defense employees end up out of work in the coming months due to White House efforts to trim the federal workforce.

“This administration’s assault on our federal civil service threatens the essential support programs for military families and the partnership between military and civilian personnel across our military,” said Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., during the House Armed Services Committee’s military personnel hearing on quality-of-life issues Wednesday.

Last year, as part of the annual defense authorization bill, House and Senate lawmakers approved a host of military quality-of-life initiatives designed to help with recruiting, retention and readiness in the ranks.

Among them were a 10% targeted pay boost for junior enlisted personnel, improvements to child care operations and hiring policies and expanded access to military medical appointments for families.

Personnel officials testifying at the committee hearing said they have received positive feedback from troops about the changes already.

“I think the quality-of-life focus for the last year has been phenomenal,” Lt. Gen. Caroline Miller, Air Force deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel, told lawmakers.

“Two years ago, the narrative out in the press was that if you come into the services, you’ve got terrible living conditions, terrible schools for your children and everything. I think we’ve turned the corner on a lot of that discussion.”

Vice Adm. Richard Cheeseman Jr., deputy chief of naval operations for personnel, noted the targeted pay raise in particular has drawn attention.

“I’ve heard from plenty of sailors that they enjoy the extra money,” he said.

But the military leaders also emphasized that they see continued areas for additional improvements. At the top of each service’s list were improvements to barracks and dorms, with better options and maintenance for troops’ living quarters.

“We can’t put enough new money into barracks,” said Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte, Marine Corps deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs.

Katharine Kelley, deputy chief of space operations for human capital, said despite recent improvements in military child care, Space Force personnel still have an urgent need for overnight care options, given the service’s unique missions.

And all of the service officials promised plans to continue building up family services and base support options for troop to ensure recent quality-of-life advances continue.

But Democratic lawmakers noted operating those services will likely require continued hiring of civilian support personnel, which may not happen under workforce cuts planned by the White House.

“Civilian workers maintain an important role for us, and for our readiness,” said Lt. Gen. Brian Eifler, Army deputy chief of staff. “We are doing some reorganization because of [planned reductions]. That’s something we’re looking closely at to make sure we don’t have a gap in our coverage as far as the mission is concerned.”

About 16,000 Army civilian employees, 12,000 Air Force civilian workers and 1,600 Marine Corps civilian staff have agreed to deferred resignation plans, officials said. Navy and Space Force officials expect to lose about 10% of their civilian staff through those same plans.

Houlahan and other Democrats expressed concerns that those cuts could have a severe impact on child care staffing, medical offices and family support programs, even though some of those areas have been exempted from a department-wide hiring freeze.

“We are literally, in some cases, firing or removing people, and then we’re figuring out what to do about it,” Houlahan said. “It’s just astounding.”

Service officials said they have not yet seen negative impacts from the planned and potential civilian workforce cutbacks, but will be monitoring the issue closely in coming months.

“We’re looking at the impacts of what losing these individuals is and then restructuring as appropriate to handle that challenge,” Borgschulte said.

The report — the 14th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation — is the result of nearly two years of research by Defense Department officials into how military pay compares to civilian wages and benefits.

Typically, it serves as a benchmark every four years for discussions about ways to adjust servicemember salaries and financial support in an effort to strengthen recruiting and retention efforts.

However, this year’s report — which argues that military paychecks need minor adjustments, not a major overhaul — comes about a month after members of Congress voted for dramatic increases in junior enlisted pay later this year, rejecting that Pentagon assessment even before it was announced.

Starting in April, around 500,000 troops ranked E-4 and below will see their base salaries boosted by 10%, a move that will bring the annual salary for nearly all servicemembers above $30,000. Lawmakers said the move was needed to ensure young troops aren’t faced with financial hardship due to the demands of military life.

Basic pay isn’t the only compensation troops receive. Benefits like housing stipends, cost-of-living adjustments and food allowances are also included in family finances, although troops have less flexibility to use those offerings for emergency expenses or household needs.

Defense officials in the report found that how those benefits fit into total troop compensation is still not fully understood or appreciated by most servicemembers, indicating more financial education is needed throughout the ranks.

But they aren’t recommending hiking troops’ pay further, especially in light of the recent salary increases approved by Congress. On top of the targeted junior enlisted salary changes, all troops saw a 4.5% pay increase at the start of this year.

According to department analysis, most officers are in the 75th percentile for financial compensation among other Americans with similar education backgrounds and career experience. Junior troops are in the 93rd percentile, and will jump to the 95th percentile after the April boost.

Instead, the defense report recommends non-cash compensation to improve military finances, to include new retirement savings options, child care support, and new employment initiatives, arguing they “may offer better returns on investment for service members and military families.”

The report also recommends raising the benchmark for military pay rates to the 75th percentile of civilian wages; updating housing stipend methodology; and improving how cost-of-living for stateside and overseas troops are calculated.

Officials also want a periodic quality-of-life review, similar to the panel convened by House lawmakers last year, to survey troops on issues like health care, child care and other family-centric issues.

Defense officials have already offered support for the recommendations, but an implementation plan likely won’t come until later this spring, when the full QRMC report is expected to be released.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in the House and Senate are likely to use portions of the report to begin drafting their own military personnel policy changes later this spring, as part of the annual defense authorization legislation.

The plan also includes a 4.5% pay raise for other troops, more than $2 billion in funding for new barracks and family housing, expanded bonuses and hiring incentives to boost the number of medical personnel in military health care facilities, and hikes child care workers’ salaries to improve availability at military bases.

The quality of life moves — most of which were introduced by House lawmakers earlier this year — are designed to counter recruiting and retention problems in the ranks.

The larger authorization bill still must be approved by the whole of Congress before the pay raise and other provisions can become law. And lawmakers will have to agree upon a new package to fund the larger paychecks before the end of the year.

But chamber leaders expressed optimism that the work can be finished in the next few weeks. The authorization bill is considered must-pass legislation each year because it contains a host of routine stipends and spending authorities, and lawmakers are expected to spend the final few days of session this month finalizing the measure.

The junior enlisted pay raise proposal is slightly less generous than what House lawmakers approved earlier this summer, but would still represent a significant financial boost for tens of thousands of young troops whose annual base pay can be less than $30,000 a year.

With the 14.5% boost, all but the most junior enlisted service members would earn approximately that $30,000 annual mark, before factoring in housing stipends and other pay incentives.

Troops ranked E-2 with two years service would see their base salary rise from about $27,000 now to $31,000 in 2025. Troops ranked E-4 with three years in the ranks would see their pay rise from $35,000 a year to more than $40,000 next year.

Enlisted troops ranked E-5 and above would not be eligible for the junior enlisted pay boosts, but would receive the 4.5% pay boost, ensuring that their salaries don’t drop below their subordinates. The extra 10% pay boosts for junior enlisted would go into effect in April, while the 4.5% raise for all troops would go into effect in January.

The 4.5% raise represents the third consecutive year of across-the-board paycheck boosts of more than 4%. For an E-7 with 10 years military experience, or an O-2 with two years experience, the 4.5% raise means about $200 more each month and roughly $2,600 a year in extra salary.

For an O-4 with 12 years in service, the 4.5% raise would mean about $400 more each month and nearly $5,000 more per year.

The authorization bill also calls for Congress to fund $954 million in new housing maintenance accounts, $569 million for new construction of new family housing units and $1.2 billion for construction of new barracks. It requires the Defense Department to designate officials responsible for oversight of unaccompanied housing and increase the frequency of inspections.

The moves follow years of criticism from military advocates about substandard housing and insufficient response to family complaints.

Reforms to medical care and child care systems follow similar criticism. Lawmakers also included language to make it easier for military spouses to transfer professional licenses between states and mandate improved reading and literacy rates for Defense Department schools, also aimed at improving quality of life for military families.

House lawmakers are expected to vote on the authorization bill next week. Both the House and Senate are scheduled to wrap up their work for the year by Dec. 20, although that could be extended if a budget deal for the entire federal government is not reached before then.

Changes aimed at smoothing military moves are delayed while officials try to ensure two new systems — the government’s MilMove and the new contractor’s HomeSafe Connect — can operate together. Testing designed to iron out lingering challenges will run through the end of January.

The contractor, HomeSafe Alliance, was supposed to be ready to facilitate moves in September 2023. The Pentagon wanted to use the new system to move all domestic shipments by peak season 2024, which generally runs from May to Labor Day.

That time frame has been pushed back, and the military hasn’t determined when it will begin a phased implementation for moves at a limited number of locations. The rollout is expected to pause during peak season.

HomeSafe Alliance’s three-year contract aims to solve longstanding problems for service members and families whose belongings are too often lost or damaged during moves.

HomeSafe will be fully responsible for DOD moves, officials said, ideally creating a more transparent and accountable process of assigning a moving company to a household; packing, hauling and unloading their possessions; and handling any loss or damage claims. TRANSCOM will continue to oversee the program.

The moving company customer satisfaction rate among troops and their families was 78% in 2023, according to Andy Dawson, director of the Defense Personal Property Management Office at TRANSCOM. Customer satisfaction regarding claims for loss and damage, meanwhile, sat at just 41%.

“That’s tens of thousands of service members and families that aren’t satisfied with their relocation experience,” Dawson said. “We owe it to them … to do everything we can to improve the quality of life that our service members and families deserve.”