The Air Force announced Monday that Gen. Stephen Lorenz will be retiring after 37 years of uniformed service. He had led Air Education and Training Command since July 2008. Lorenz is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy and is a command pilot, with more than 3,500 hours in the cockpits of various transport and tanker aircraft. Replacing him at AETC will be Lt. Gen. Edward Rice, whom the Senate on May 7 confirmed to receive a fourth star. Rice has led US Forces Japan and 5th Air Force since February 2008. (Randolph release)
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.