Construction 
work continues apace on two new dormitories at Cannon AFB, N.M., home of Air Force Special Operations Command’s 27th Special Operations Wing. Base officials broke ground on the buildings last August. They are designed to accommodate a total of 192 unaccompanied airmen to help meet the housing demand at the base given the rising number of young air commandoes assigned there. They are also meant to improve the quality of life for airmen by alleviating Cannon’s current double-occupancy posture, according to a Jan. 7 base release. “There will be two identical, side-by-side dormitory buildings,” said Wayne Pierce, base architect and project manager. He added, “The Fiscal Year ’11 dorm is the one currently going up, and contractors are now on site to begin the Fiscal Year ’12 dorm.” The Fiscal ’11 dorm is slated to be ready for airmen to move in by late 2013, while officials anticipate that the Fiscal ’12 dorm will be completed by early 2014, states the release. (Cannon report by Emily Crowe)
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.