Two C-17s brought a group of about 80 US personnel and medical supplies from Andersen AFB, Guam, and JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, to Legazpi International Airport in the Philippines for Operation Pacific Angel-Philippines, a six-day humanitarian mission that runs through Saturday. Members of the US contingent set up a temporary clinic from which US medics will provide free medical, dental, and vision care to some 500 Filipinos in Albay province each day this week. At the same time, the US medics, engineers, and specialists are using their visit as an opportunity for joint training and exchange with Philippine military and non-governmental organizations. “The combined efforts between the US and Philippine forces and the relationships that are built and strengthened here will ensure the success of this operation in providing quality facilities, excellent healthcare, and life-saving training,” said Lt. Col. Michael Black, Pacific Angel-Philippines mission commander. The Air Force is also sponsoring Pacific Angel missions to Laos, Nepal, and Vietnam later this year. (Legazpi City report by 1st Lt. Robert Howard)
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.