Sen. Wicker's plan lays out an additional $55 billion above FY25 defense spending caps.
The pilot, the only person on board, was able to escape after crashing and was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, according to authorities.
The Space Force on Saturday will begin accepting applications from Air Force reservists to join the newest service as full-time guardians.
Daniel Duggan served in the Marine Corps for 12 years before immigrating to Australia in 2002.
Maj. Gen. Phillip Stewart's request to retire in lieu of court-martial was denied by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall earlier this year.
More than 18.6% of eligible airmen will promote to master sergeants in 2024, up from 17.3% in 2023.
House legislation could end a feud between the Department of the Air Force, governors, Guard leaders and lawmakers about the future of a space Guard.
In addition to the enlisted pay raise, the bill pushes back against F-35 procurement as lawmakers bash Lockheed Martin over the troubled program.
While the cause of a spike in maintenance-related accidents remains elusive, the Air Force said its maintainer recruitment has improved.
Lawmakers have proposed a pilot program to see if relaxing Air Force rules on facial hair would help morale or hurt readiness.
