The Air Force, in response to a State Department request, evacuated US government personnel from Sana’a, Yemen, on Tuesday local time as part of a reduction of the US presence there due to the heightened terrorism threat, according to a Pentagon release. Reuters reported that a C-17 brought these personnel from Sana’a to Ramstein AB, Germany. Defense Department Press Secretary George Little said, despite the partial pullout, the United States would continue to have personnel on the ground to monitor the security situation in Yemen, states DOD’s Aug. 6 release. This withdrawal comes on the heels of a temporary shutdown of 20 US embassies and consulates in the Mideast, North Africa, and South Asia due to concern over a potential terrorist strike. “We are concerned about a threat stream indicating the potential for terrorist attacks against US persons or facilities overseas, especially emanating from the Arabian peninsula,” said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki, in the release. “As such, the department is taking appropriate steps to protect our employees,” she said.
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.