Sixteen Air Force logisticians formed as the 22nd Movement Control Team have replaced the Army’s 258th MCT at Sather AB, Iraq, where they process and manage delivery of cargo and passengers throughout Iraq for the 49th Transportation Battalion. The 16 airmen are replacing 22 soldiers, so they will face “some challenges just in sheer numbers,” as well as from the ongoing drawdown in Iraq, said SMSgt Martin Molina, 22nd MCT chief. However, Molina praised the soldiers who preceded his group, saying: “We couldn’t have asked for a better turnover from the Army. Their [standard operating procedures] have been great and have really got us going in the right direction.” (Sather report by SSgt. Tim Beckham)
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.