The Air Force has reconsidered dropping the designation Distinguished Graduate from its Squadron Officer School program and plans to reinstitute DG status with the class that starts April 16. According to an Air Education and Training Command release, the service took 38 months to re-evaluate the issue. Air University dropped DG in 2004 when it implemented the Top Third Graduate Award instead. Now, SOS will convey both awards.
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.