Wildfire experts from Air Force Reserve Command’s 302nd Airlift Wing at Peterson AFB, Colo., hurricane hunters from AFRC’s 403rd Wing at Keesler AFB, Miss., and aerial spray experts from AFRC’s 910th Airlift Wing at Youngstown ARS, Ohio, gathered last week at Peterson for the first-ever C-130 special-mission conference. Topics covered included legal parameters, financial issues, interagency agreements and relationships, command and control agreements, and logistics support. “We found that if we can get together and share what each unit does really well, that we can kind of pool our knowledge and learn from each other,” said Lt. Col. David Condit, the 302nd AW’s head of aerial firefighting, during a Jan. 13 media teleconference. Maj. Gen. James Rubeor, 22nd Air Force commander, who oversees these units, said the gathering was a success, but it’s not yet clear if it will become an annual tradition. (Peterson report by TSgt. Daniel Butterfield) (Roundtable transcript)
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.