President Obama announced his intent to nominate Air Force Undersecretary Erin Conaton to be undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. Conaton has been the Air Force’s No. 2 top civilian leader since March 2010. She has had a large role in shaping the service’s space and energy policy, among her engagement, during her tenure. If the Senate approves her forthcoming nomination, Conaton would be the senior policy advisor to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on recruitment, career development, pay, and benefits for US military personnel and Defense Department civilians. She would also oversee the overall state of military readiness. (White House release)
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.