Capt. Timothy Harrelson, a family practice physician assistant with the 35th Medical Operations Squadron at Misawa AB, Japan, received a Bronze Star medal Dec. 19, 2008, for his efforts during a deployment last year to Afghanistan as a member of a provincial reconstruction team. During his tour, he completed an 18-day combat mission with the Army’s 101st Airborne Division, becoming the first USAF physician assistant assigned to that Army unit. He stabilized more than 30 victims wounded in major Taliban offensives and treated more than 800 Afghans in other missions. He also helped provide clean water to 300 Afghan families and developed a food paste for Afghan infants to reduce pediatric mortality by 25 percent in the area of Qalat. “Working in Afghanistan was a tremendous experience and it taught me a lot about personal stewardship,” said Harrelson. (Misawa report by SrA. Jamal Sutter)
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.