As Congress makes tough budgetary decisions regarding Air Force Reserve airmen and assets, it should focus on “force readiness, force rebalance, and force support,” said AFR Chief Lt. Gen. Charles Stenner. “Our Reservists are integrated into every mission, in every major command, and in every theater of operations around the globe. Now we’ve got to ensure that we’re building the right force mix for both today and the future,” Stenner told more than 60 Congressional staffers and military liaisons on Capitol Hill in late February. He added, “If you had unlimited funds, you could keep the entire military on full-time status, but since we must be cost-effective, we need to put a certain amount of capability in the [Air National] Guard and Reserve for use only when needed.” (Washington, D.C., report by Col. Bob Thompson) (See also AFRES, a Model of Efficiency from the Daily Report archives)
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.