Defining the force
Airman, Jan, 2005 by Chuck Roberts
It takes a lot to take the fight to the enemy. The Air Force--with more than 690,000 active duty, civilian, Guard and Reserve forces--operates from some 100 countries in the defense of freedom.
Pilots, security forces and maintainers are some of the more common career fields that come to mind when thinking of Airmen involved in the global war on terrorism. But the struggle also requires the skills of Air Force specialties people seldom see, or even know exist, such as clinical geneticists (all four of them), cytotechnologists and nurse-midwives. And the defense of freedom doesn't come cheap--in terms of lives lost or money spent training, equipping and supporting the Air Force war fighter.
More than a dozen Airmen have died supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. And the monetary cost in defending freedom abroad requires a budget of more than $93 billion to support the Total Force, and to provide for family members back home.
You can crunch the numbers, but you can't measure the intangible quality of Air Force people who willingly make personal sacrifices to ensure we live in a safer and better world.
Major Active Duty Air Force Bases
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Major Air Force Bases Overseas
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Military Pay
2005 Enlisted Monthly Pay Chart
(Effective Jan. 1, 2005)
Years of Service
Pay Grade <2 2 3 4 6
E-9 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
E-8 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
E-7 2220.08 2423.14 2515.67 2638.94 2734.57
E-6 1920.44 2112.64 2205.79 2296.46 2390.85
E-5 1759.60 1876.97 1967.64 2060.79 2205.17
E-4 1612.74 1695.64 1787.24 1877.59 1957.70
E-3 1456.25 1547.84 1640.99 1640.99 1640.99
E-2 1384.52 1384.52 1384.52 1384.52 1384.52
E-1 >4 mos 1235.17 1235.17 1235.17 1235.17 1235.17
E-1 <4 mos 1142.64 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Years of Service
Pay Grade 8 10 12 14 16
E-9 0.00 3901.12 3989.61 4101.08 4232.43
E-8 3193.49 3334.77 3422.02 3526.97 3640.61
E-7 2899.45 2992.29 3084.51 3249.69 3332.29
E-6 2604.16 2687.07 2779.29 2860.02 2888.58
E-5 2329.68 2421.59 2450.78 2450.78 2450.78
E-4 1957.70 1957.70 1957.70 1957.70 1957.70
E-3 1640.99 1640.99 1640.99 1640.99 1640.99
E-2 1384.52 1384.52 1384.52 1384.52 1384.52
E-1 >4 mos 1235.17 1235.17 1235.17 1235.17 1235.17
E-1 <4 mos 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Years of Service
Pay Grade 18 20 22 24 26
E-9 4364.08 4575.84 4755.00 4943.78 5231.61
E-8 3845.54 3949.25 4125.92 4224.04 4465.30
E-7 3410.84 3458.66 3620.43 3725.07 3989.93
E-6 2908.14 2908.14 2908.14 2908.14 2908.14
E-5 2450.78 2450.78 2450.78 2450.78 2450.78
E-4 1957.70 1957.70 1957.70 1957.70 1957.70
E-3 1640.99 1640.99 1640.99 1640.99 1640.99
E-2 1384.52 1384.52 1384.52 1384.52 1384.52
E-1 >4 mos 1235.17 1235.17 1235.17 1235.17 1235.17
E-1 <4 mos 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
2005 Commissioned Officers Monthly Pay Chart
(Effective Jan. 1, 2005)
Years of Service
Pay Grade <2 2 3 4 6
O-10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
O-9 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
O-8 8022.39 8285.07 8459.26 8508.32 8725.36
O-7 6666.12 6975.69 7119.14 7233.10 7438.96
O-6 4940.68 5427.85 5783.99 5783.99 5806.04
O-5 4118.78 4639.80 4961.17 5021.41 5221.37
O-4 3553.67 4113.81 4388.30 4449.47 4704.39
O-3 3124.56 3542.18 3823.19 4168.15 4367.80
O-2 2699.49 3074.57 3541.25 3660.80 3736.25
O-1 2343.65 2438.98 2948.20 2948.20 2948.20
Years of Service
Pay Grade 8 10 12 14 16
0-10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
O-9 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
O-8 9089.27 9173.72 9519.00 9618.05 9915.20
O-7 7878.32 7878.32 8113.37 8349.03 9089.27
O-6 6087.97 6087.97 6087.97 6433.87 7045.56
O-5 5605.46 5605.46 5798.90 6048.54 6431.08
O-4 5317.62 5317.62 5582.79 5798.90 5872.18
O-3 4586.71 4728.60 4962.10 5083.20 5083.20
O-2 3736.25 3736.25 3736.25 3736.25 3736.25
O-1 2948.20 2948.20 2948.20 2948.20 2948.20
Years of Service
Pay Grade 18 20 22 24 26
0-10 0.00 12963.06 13026.72 13297.47 13769.43
O-9 0.00 11337.91 11501.23 11737.21 12149.24
O-8 10345.55 10742.37 11007.54 11007.54 11007.54
O-7 9714.61 9714.61 9714.61 9714.61 9763.67
O-6 7404.49 7763.43 7967.74 8174.22 8575.39
O-5 6613.34 6793.12 6997.43 6997.43 6997.43
O-4 5933.66 5933.66 5933.66 5933.66 5933.66
O-3 5083.20 5083.20 5083.20 5083.20 5083.20
O-2 3736.25 3736.25 3736.25 3736.25 3736.25
O-1 2948.20 2948.20 2948.20 2948.20 2948.20
Officers with more than 4 years' active duty
as enlisted or warrant officer (2004)
(Effective Jan. 1, 2005
Years of Service
Pay Grade <2 2 3 4 6
O-3E 0.00 0.00 0.00 4168.15 4367.80
O-2E 0.00 0.00 0.00 3660.80 3736.25
O-1E 0.00 0.00 0.00 2948.20 3148.78
Years of Service
Pay Grade 8 10 12 14 16
O-3E 4586.71 4728.60 4962.10 5158.65 5271.05
O-2E 3855.17 4055.75 4211.00 4326.51 4326.51
O-1E 3264.91 3383.83 3500.58 3660.80 3660.80
Years of Service
Pay Grade 18 20 22 24 26
O-3E 5424.75 5424.75 5424.75 5424.75 5424.75
O-2E 4326.51 4326.51 4326.51 4326.51 4326.51
O-1E 3660.80 3660.80 3660.80 3660.80 3660.80
Budget Facts
[GRAPHIC OMITTED]
FY '05 Budget Breakdown by Categories Military Personnel--24.8% (24,464,000,000) Military Construction--.9% ($848,000,000) Procurement--21% ($20,683,000,000) BRAC--.1% (146,000,000) Operations & Maintenance--34.9% ($34,329,000,000) Military Family Housing--1.7% ($1,709,000,000) Other--.5% ($478,000,000) Research, Development, Test & Evaluation--16.1% ($15,840,000,000) Note: Table made from pie chart.
Most Recent Reference Articles
- ARAB EUROPEAN RELATIONS - Dec 22 - Russia Denies Selling Missile System To Iran
- EGYPT - Dec 29 - Opposition Says Mubarak Blessed Israeli Attacks
- ARAB AFFAIRS - Dec 22 - Syria Will Eventually Move To Direct Talks With Israel
- ARAB AFFAIRS - Dec 30 - GCC Denounces Massacre
- ARAB ISRAELI RELATIONS - Israel Issues An Appeal To Palestinians In Gaza
Most Recent Reference Publications
Most Popular Reference Articles
- How Tyler Perry rose from homelessness to a $5 million mansion
- 9 questions to ask your new lover: what you were afraid to ask, but always wanted to know
- Free Sex Change? Move To Idaho - Brief Article
- Vickie Winans: at home with the gospel star who lost 75 pounds and reenergized her career
- BEST HAIR SALONS in DALLAS, The
Most Popular Reference Publications
Content provided in partnership with
