The Air Force Personnel Center yesterday announced the names of the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2008. They are: SMSgt. Donna Goodno, San Diego ANGS, Calif.; MSgt. Carla Curry, Randolph AFB, Tex.; MSgt. George Price Jr., Patrick AFB, Fla.; TSgt. James Caughron, McConnell AFB, Kan.; TSgt. Earl Covel Jr., Ft. Lewis, Wash.; TSgt. Jason Hughes, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; TSgt. Tammy Shaw, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; TSgt. James Weltin, Patrick AFB, Fla.; SSgt. Eric Eberhard, Hill AFB, Utah; SrA. Mary Bullock, Hurlburt Field, Fla.; SrA. Alicia Goetschel, RAF Mildenhall, Britain; and SrA. Shawn Ryan, Sheppard AFB, Tex. The Air Force Association will honor them at its Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition in Washington, D.C., in September.
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.