The Air Force has officially recognized the insignia of the 477th Bombardment Group, a Tuskegee Airmen unit that flew B-25s during World War II, according to officials from Air Force Reserve Command’s 477th Fighter Group. The fighter unit traces its heritage to the bombardment group. Col. Bryan Radliff, 477th Fighter Group commander, announced the news at the 41st Annual Tuskegee Airmen Convention that ran from July 31 to Aug. 3 in Las Vegas. He cited a July 17 letter from Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz that conveyed the news to the Tuskegee Airmen. “The presentation of this patch is a long overdue recognition of the service and sacrifice of these great men” and “their rightful place in airpower history,” said Radliff in an Aug. 2 release. During World War II, the Army Air Corps never recognized the emblem because it never declared the group mission-ready since the unit relocated several times, states the release. The Air Force will now include the insignia in official heraldry records. (Las Vegas report by Capt. Ashley Conner)
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.