President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama told airmen and civilian defense employees at JB Langley-Eustis, Va., Wednesday that its time America fights for its veterans at home in the same way those troops have fought for the nation in Iraq and Afghanistan. Speaking before members of Air Combat Command, the Obamas said the skills learned in the military are exactly the talents that American businesses should be looking for. “If you can save a life in Afghanistan, you can save a life in a local hospital or in a local ambulance,” said the President. “If you can oversee millions of dollars of assets in Iraq, you can help a business balance its books here at home.” The First Lady said she wanted to make sure America knows that its veterans are “trained in state-of-the-art technologies,” have managed complex tasks that would “make most people’s head spin,” have overseen dozens, if not hundreds, of their peers, and are at their best “when the stakes are the highest.” The Administration has challenged the private sector to hire or train 100,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2013. (Transcript of President’s and First Lady’s remarks)
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.