In the newest issue of Roll Call, CMSAF James Cody called on airmen to reach out to fellow airmen and draw strength from one another in the wake of the federal government’s partial shutdown. “Many of our [Air Force] Reserve, [Air] National Guard, and civilian airmen, who serve our nation with honor and pride, have been sent home without pay,” wrote Cody in the Oct. 4 bulletin. “The shutdown affects us all in different ways, beyond our paychecks,” he said. One of the Air Force’s celebrated accomplishments is “our ability to strengthen our team during periods of overwhelming challenges,” stated Cody. “Today our Air Force family is dealing with the needless strain of furloughs, reductions in service, and reduced readiness. Now is a time to come together, again, and show our true colors.” This Roll Call is the second issue to appear since Cody announced in September that he was restarting the publication, which had been dormant for years. The monthly bulletin is meant to help keep airmen informed on current issues. (See also September’s Roll Call.)
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.