SSgt. Austin May, a public affairs specialist with the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall, Britain, designed the new wings occupational badge to be worn by airmen without previous flying qualification who will operate remotely piloted vehicles. The first class of these airmen graduated Sept. 25 at Creech AFB, Nev. and received these wings. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz approved May’s design, which May, a native of Katy, Tex., refined and perfected over an eight-month period based on feedback from Air Staff officials. May, already creator of the comic strip “Air Force Blues” chronicling the life of an Alaska-based pilot, said it was a “thrilling opportunity” to design the wings; he is now honored to be part of unmanned aircraft history. (SAF/PA report by TSgt. Amaani Lyle)
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.