JB Langley, Va., and JB Charleston, S.C., have both reached full operational status. This means that they are fully up and running after having completed the BRAC 2005-mandated mergers of Langley Air Force Base with the Army’s Fort Eustis and Charleston Air Force Base with Naval Weapons Station Charleston, respectively. These moves established joint installations, each with a consolidated base management. Officials declared full operational capability at both locations on Oct 1. Langley began its life as a joint base back in January after the activation of the 633rd Air Base Wing as overseer. Similarly, Charleston assumed initial operations as a joint installation in January with the standup of the 628th ABW. BRAC 2005 established 11 US military joint bases in total. (Charleston report by SSgt. Daniel Bowles) (Langley report by A1C Jason J. Brown)
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.