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Pentagon has identified the airman in southern Afghanistan April 4 who died from wounds caused by an improvised explosive device as SSgt. Phillip A. Myers, 30, of Hopewell, Va. Air Forces Central announced April 4 that he had been killed, but withheld his name until next of kin were notified. Myers had deployed to Kandahar from RAF Lakenheath, Britain, where the explosive ordnance disposal technician served with the 48th Civil Engineer Squadron. Myers received a Bronze Star medal in March 2008 for his actions during a previous deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom. RAF Lakenheath also selected Myers as its outstanding civil engineer military technician, presenting him the 2008 Maj. Gen. Eugene A. Lupia Award.
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.