Personnel

President Donald Trump said Saturday that active-duty service members would get paid today, despite the government shutdown that is now in its third week.

NGAUS and three other National Guard and Reserve advocacy groups have made another urgent appeal to congressional leaders to end the government shutdown or at least take action to pay troops on duty during the impasse.

NGAUS is leading the charge of National Guard and Reserve associations asking Congress to help pay service members on duty during the government shutdown, which is now in its second week.

Since Congress failed to pass normal appropriations or a stopgap budget before the start of the fiscal year on Tuesday, the federal government is officially shut down.

Physical fitness and combat training standards will be raised and scrutinized, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Tuesday told hundreds of generals, admirals and senior enlisted personnel from across the services and components.

The Air National Guard lost a fighter unit Sept. 23 when the Maryland National Guard formally ended the A-10C Thunderbolt II mission at Warfield Air National Guard Base outside of Baltimore.

The Air Force last week unveiled changes to its Physical Fitness Assessment and a new fitness program that will soon apply to all Airmen across the total Air Force.

Amid a historic surge in military recruiting, the National Guard exceeded its fiscal year 2025 goals. Since November 2024, the U.S. military has achieved its strongest recruiting performance in 30 years.

Three associations that combine to represent all of the nation’s nearly 800,000 National Guardsmen and Reservists are urging congressional leaders to pass fiscal 2026 appropriations for defense, military construction and veterans affairs.

In his most high-profile speech since becoming Air Force secretary in May, Troy Meink emphasized familiar themes — the necessity to modernize, the need to perfect readiness, and remaining focused on “taking care of our people.”

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday paid tribute to the U.S. military’s prisoners of war and personnel missing in action during a ceremony commemorating National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

The Pentagon on Monday announced new grooming standards that require male service members “to be clean shaven” and present “proper military appearance.”