Chief 
of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh has named CMSgt. James A. Cody to serve as the 17th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, announced service officials. Cody, currently assigned as command chief of Air Education and Training Command, will assume the new position on Feb. 1, following the Jan. 31 retirement of current CMSAF James Roy, who’s served in this role since June 2009. “We are excited to welcome Chief Cody and [his wife] Athena to the team as they take the baton from the Roys,” said Welsh. “The next few years will be filled with many opportunities and challenges and our Air Force will greatly benefit from the leadership, experience, and wisdom they bring.” Cody joined the Air Force in 1984. Roy’s retirement will culminate more than 30 years of service to the Air Force. “Chief Roy and his wife, Paula, have been a blessing for our Air Force. They have worked tirelessly for the past three-plus years as phenomenal advocates for our airmen and families,” said Welsh. The CMSAF serves as a personal advisor to the Air Force Secretary and Chief of Staff on all issues regarding the welfare, readiness, proper utilization, and progress of enlisted airmen and their families.
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.