The 914th Airlift Wing at Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y., recently became the latest Air Force Reserve Command unit to stand up a development and training flight to prepare new accessions for basic military training. “As soon as a member enlists [until] the time they leave for basic training, they come in and drill on the Saturday of the unit training assembly,” said TSgt. Alexander Pacheco, non-commissioned officer in charge of the new flight, in the wing’s Oct. 18 release. AFRC last year pioneered the program at a handful of bases to give enlistees a background in everything from customs and courtesy to dress standards. “I think that is going to cut back on the [delayed enlistment program] discharges and cut down on the people who aren’t making it through basic and tech school,” noted Pacheco. (Niagara report by SSgt. Andrew Caya)
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.