The 554th RED HORSE Squadron hosted Marine Corps civil engineers for a week-long course in emergency runway repair at Kadena AB, Japan. “In a fiscally constrained environment, this type of training enables us to support and develop the integration of joint operations between the Air Force and Marine Corps,” stated Maj. Lynn Moriarty, 554th RHS, Det. 1 commander. Based at Camp Foster on Okinawa, Marine Wing Support Squadron 172 is tasked with supporting forward deployed air units, but lacks training facilities such as Kadena’s Silver Flag area. Keeping runways open and serviceable is key to MWSS-172’s support mission. Working with the Red Horse airmen “greatly improves our capabilities, making us a force multiplier within the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing,” explained SSgt. Frederick Henson, MWSS-172 company sergeant. (Kadena report by SrA. Shaunlee Hostutler)
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.