US Air Forces in Europe hosted its inaugural international health symposium for military medical personnel from 11 NATO and Partnership for Peace countries at Ramstein AB, Germany. “When we looked at the countries we support, one of the common gaps that we found was the medical logistics capability to support their deployed and in-garrison units,” said Col. Charles Tedder, USAFE medical readiness chief. “So, we decided we’d focus on medical logistics,” he added. Accordingly, participants at the three-day symposium discussed medical logistics solutions and common roles for non-commissioned medical personnel, explained Tedder. Representatives from Armenia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine attended the symposium, held April 18-20. USAFE aims to make the symposium an annual event. The medical community “has an important role in building partnerships because medics in general speak the same language and . . . we are trying to heal people and we all have that common goal,” said Tedder. (Ramstein report by SSgt. Benjamin Wilson)
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.