Members of the Kentucky and New Jersey Air National Guards participated in the recent joint Eagle Flag exercise at JB McGuire, N.J. This was the second iteration of the exercise, but the first time National Guard members were invited to participate. During the humanitarian-relief drill, 82 Kentucky Air Guardsmen from the 123rd Contingency Response Group, 10 airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing, three members of the New Jersey ANG’s 108th CRG, and two civilians from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations worked with soldiers to open a mock port in late July. “We are getting more and more engaged with the Army with these kinds of joint activities and [the exercise] helps us understand their capabilities, and they understand ours,” said Maj. Kevin Thornberry, logistical officer-in-charge of the exercise’s joint task force-port opening. (McGuire release by Capt. Andi Hahn)
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.