Officials at Osan AB, South Korea, opened the doors to the base’s newly renovated and upgraded exchange. The grand opening took place on Nov. 16, several weeks ahead of schedule, according to Osan’s release. “We hope everyone enjoys the upgrades,” said Lt. Col. Kristin McCoy, commander of the exchange’s Pacific region. The reorganized exchange is broken down into three sections—style, life, and home—designed to make it easier to shop, said Qiana Lenard, exchange regional brand manager for the Pacific. The exchange’s new floor plan offers more room for products and there’s also a new Chinese restaurant in the food court. Osan is the first Pacific Air Forces base to have its exchange undergo the rebranding, according to the release. It follows Tinker AFB, Okla., which in 2010 became the first Air Force installation to receive the upgrade, which is planned for all exchanges worldwide, states the release. (Osan report by A1C Alexis Siekert)
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.