Some airmen are operating on a less than one-to-one deployment-to-dwell-time ratio, meaning they are deployed for six months and then spend six months back home. But for some airmen, such as “defenders,” the time at home is often cut short by yet another few months as training ramps up for the next deployment, CMSAF James Roy said during a panel discussion with senior uniformed leaders at AFA’s Air & Space Conference. Lt. Gen. Donald Wurster, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, said he tracks by name all the airmen—mostly special tactics personnel—whose deployment-to-dwell-time ratio is one-to-one or less. He said the high operations tempo is one of AFSOC’s biggest challenges. In an effort to help bolster stressed career fields, the Air Force is getting ready to enter phase II—a mandatory retraining program—of the 2011 Noncommissioned Officer Retraining Program. Roy said 359 airmen will be retrained and pushed into in-demand career fields in phase II, which begins Sept. 17. (See also Volunteer or be Voluntold from the Daily Report archive)
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.