Air Combat Command boss Gen. William Fraser will be inducted into the Order of the Sword, the highest honor the enlisted force can bestow upon a leader, during a Sept. 12 ceremony in Hampton, Va. SrA. Iris Cruz, the most junior airmen in the command section directorate’s headquarters, presented Fraser with the official invitation Aug. 11. “I am speechless. It’s nothing I ever would have imagined,” said Fraser. “I am deeply honored to have this opportunity, but it’s really about all of you, so thank you very, very much. This is huge—it really is,” he said. Fraser was recognized by ACC’s enlisted members for his efforts to prepare airmen for the future fight. For example, months after assuming command, Fraser launched the Comprehensive Airman Fitness program, which provides airmen with the tools necessary to maintain mental, social, and spiritual stability and to enhance positive behaviors. The program has since caught on throughout the Air Force. (Langley release)
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.