Retired Gen. Ronald Keys, former leader of Air Combat Command, was the first person inducted as an AFROTC Distinguished Alumni, a program initiated by the Holm Center for Officer Accession and Citizen Development at Maxwell AFB, Ala. The retired four-star general, a distinguished graduate of the Kansas State University ROTC program, said during the Aug. 14 ceremony at Maxwell, that he was “overwhelmed by this tribute.” He also praised the airmen of today who are “broader in their thinking” and “understand technology to much better” than he did. He also acknowledged the rapid pace of change, including the “real strategic advantage” now offered by unmanned aerial vehicles. He said, “As long as we do the math and do things for the right reason, the Air Force will prevail.” (Maxwell report by Carl Bergquist)
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.