Thanks to a new cost-sharing agreement between DOD and Veterans Affairs, more than 100,000 military retirees with VA-rated disabilities should soon see retroactive payments based on the new programs (Combat-Related Special Compensation and Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay) Congress created in 2003 and 2004, reports Air Force Magazine contributing editor Tom Philpott. Payments could average $4,000 to $5,000, depending on rank, disability rating, and the length of the period covered.
With upgrades, F-16s can serve as a numbers-builder in the combat air forces until the 2040s, and it’s not necessary to launch its successor yet, program officials said at an industry conference. “We anticipate hundreds of F-16s in active service for decades to come,” meaning into the 2040s, Col. Tim…