The 39th Air Base Wing at Incirlik AB, Turkey, inactivated the 39th Maintenance Group, casing the group guidon during a base ceremony. “We inactivate the group today because it’s the right thing to do,” stated Col. Eric Beene, 39th ABW commander, during the ceremony June 14. “This doesn’t mean, however, that we value any less the contributions of all of our airmen in the maintenance group. What you do every day here is incredibly important. I am honored to serve with you no matter what the guidon says.” First activated in 1942 as the 39th Air Depot Group at Olmstead Field, Penn., the unit came to Incirlik in 1993. From there, its airmen have supported many missions over the past two decades, including in Iraq and most recently in Libya. (Incirlik report by SrA. Anthony Hyatt)
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.