Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Snow will become the next director of the Pentagon’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, announced the Defense Department on Monday. He’ll take over in January, replacing the current director, Army Maj. Gen. Gary Patton, who’s held the position for the past 18 months. Patton plans to retire from the Army next spring after nearly 35 years in uniform, including 45 months in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Pentagon’s Dec. 16 release. “DOD has made great progress in implementing important policies . . . to improve victim confidence and reform the military’s approach to sexual assault prevention and response,” said Snow, who is currently the Army’s director of strategy, plans, and policy. “I will strive to sustain these efforts and keep our program moving forward,” he said. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel thanked Patton for “the transparency, energy, persistence, and strong leadership” he brought to SAPRO.
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.