Lt. Col. James Wilkerson, former 31st Fighter Wing inspector general at Aviano AB, Italy, faces a court-martial for allegedly groping a female civilian base employee in March, announced Aviano officials last week. Specifically, the Air Force has charged Wilkerson, who was the wing’s IG from January to May, with two counts of violating Article 120 of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice—for abusive sexual contact and aggravated sexual assault—and three counts of violating Article 133—for conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman. He faces a maximum sentence of more than 37 years of confinement if convicted in his trial this fall, said the officials. “The Air Force and the 31st Fighter Wing are dedicated to a culture where sexual assault is simply unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said Brig. Gen. Scott Zobrist, 31st FW commander, in an Aug. 16 release. To continue to the full report, click here.
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.