The Air Force’s enlisted force inducted former Air Force Secretary Michael Donley into the Order of the Sword. CMSAF James Cody led the ceremony, which took place on Sept. 13 at JB Anacostia-Bolling, D.C. Donley, who retired in June, became the 9th person in Air Force history to enter the order at the service’s headquarters level, states the service’s release. “Every time I was with Secretary Donley, he wanted to talk about you,” said Cody to the enlisted airmen gathered at the event. “He always had you—and all of our 690,000 airmen—on his mind. He truly cared about us,” said Cody. The order is the highest honor that the enlisted force can bestow upon an individual. “I am sincerely touched and humbled to be placed in the company of the many great Air Force leaders who have been honored to receive this award,” said Donley.
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.