Contingency response airmen from across Air Force Reserve Command converged for Patriot Express 2012, a combined-unit airfield-opening exercise with Navy seabees at Fort Carson Air Terminal, Colo. “To have [airlift control flights] from five different locations around the country come together to do this and all work together so well” was amazing, said 2nd Lt. Matthew Borowski of the 439th ALCF at Westover ARB, Mass. A C-5 transport from Westover airlifted a modular base to Fort Carson, launching the exercise on Aug. 8, according to an Aug. 10 release. The ALCFs set up and ran two contingency bases, shuttling C-130s and C-17s loaded with humanitarian supplies between Fort Carson and Pueblo, Colo. Teamed with the Navy, the airmen were able to “train the seabees on how to load their cargo onto an aircraft if they ever have to,” added Borowski. In addition to Westover, Reservists deployed from JB Charleston, S.C.; Dover AFB, Del.; JBSA-Lackland, Tex.; and March ARB, Calif. (Fort Carson report by TSgt. Timm Huffman)
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.