One of the new missions being undertaken by the North Dakota Air National Guard’s 119th Fighter Wing Happy Hooligans will be to provide security forces to guard ICBMs operated by the 91st Space Wing at Minot AFB, N.D. Gov. John Hoeven announced the new role earlier this month, saying the Air Guard unit would begin hiring for 60 full-time and 80 part-time positions in April. The plan calls for the Hooligan squadron to integrate its airmen with the 91st Security Forces Group. According to the Minot Daily News, the Guardsmen will replace active duty Security Forces airmen tapped to deploy overseas. A 119th FW spokesperson, 1st Lt. Penny Ripperger, told MDN that the Air Guard members would not deploy.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.