Pacific Air Forces boss Gen. Howie Chandler on Nov. 10 relieved Col. Bryan Bearden of his duties as commander of the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan AB, South Korea. A Nov. 10 release cited the reason given by Chandler as “duty performance factors.” Bearden, who had led the Wolf Pack wing since May 2008, will receive a new assignment outside Korea, according to the release. Chandler has named Col. Jerry Harris, who has been serving as 13th Air Force director of operations at Hickam AB, Hawaii, to take command at Kunsan.
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.