Three airmen were reportedly among the 30 US military personnel who died in the crash of an Army Chinook helicopter in eastern Afghanistan on Aug. 6. US defense officials said this was the single-deadliest incident for US forces since the start of the Afghanistan war in October 2001. As of late Sunday, the Defense Department had not released the names of the fallen personnel, pending notification of their kin. However, KY 3 News of Springfield, Mo., reported that TSgt. John W. Brown, an Air Force pararescueman, was one of the victims, citing his mother. Brown, a native of Siloam Springs in northwest Arkansas, was attached to a Navy SEALs unit, reported Fox News. Along with Brown and the two other airmen, 22 Navy SEALs and five Army crewmen were reportedly killed. “Their deaths are a reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices made by the men and women of our military and their families, including all who have served in Afghanistan,” said President Obama in a White House statement. Seven Afghan commandoes and one civilian interpreter also died in the crash, reportedly the result of Afghan insurgent fire. (See also Panetta statement, AFPS report by Cheryl Pellerin, NPR report, ABC News report.)
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.