Air Force Reserve Command’s 911th Airlift Wing christened a new $8.5 million base lodging facility in conjunction with a wing change-of-command at Pittsburgh ARS, Pa. The 50-room, three-story dormitory will house Reservists coming from across the region for drill, in addition to visiting contractors and Defense Department civilians, said wing officials. Targeted for closure as part of Air Force cost cutting next fiscal year, Pittsburgh faces stiff “headwinds,” Col. Craig Peters told Reservists after assuming command of the wing on May 6, reported the Pittsburgh Tribune. “The big thing is to try to keep morale going strong” as Congress and the Air Force hammer out the installation’s eventual fate, added Peters. Unit officials hope that the new energy-efficient lodging will help tip the scales in favor of keeping the base open, according to the newspaper. (Pittsburgh photo caption by TSgt. Ralph Van Houtem)
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.