President Donald Trump in his joint address to Congress Tuesday night said he will send a budget to Congress that significantly bolsters defense spending, rebuilds the military, and ends sequestration. “To keep America safe we must provide the men and women of the United States military with the tools they need to prevent war and, if they must, they have to fight and only have to win,” said Trump. The budget, which Trump said “calls for one of the largest increases in national defense spending in American history,” also will increase funding for veterans. He reaffirmed the United States’ support and commitment to NATO, but said the other members of the alliance must increase defense spending. “Based on our very strong and frank discussions, they are beginning to do just that,” said Trump. He added, “We expect our partners, whether in NATO, in the Middle East, or the Pacific, to take a direct and meaningful role in both strategic and military operations, and [to] pay their fair share of the cost. Have to do it.” Trump said the US will work with allies to eliminate ISIS, and acknowledged the new plan Defense Secretary James Mattis recently presented to the National Security Council to do just that. And, in an emotional tribute, he recognized the sacrifice of Navy Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan” Owens, who was killed on Jan. 28 during an attack on al-Qaeda forces in Yemen—the first known counter terrorism raid of Trump’s presidency. “Ryan died as he lived: a warrior and a hero, battling against terrorism and securing our nation … Ryan’s legacy is etched into eternity,” Trump told Owens’’ widow, Carryn, who was in the audience.
The 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first standalone Reserve unit in the Air Force to get its own F-35s, welcoming the first fighter Nov. 5.