The Senate last week cleared the way for Lt. Gen. Burton Field to become the Air Force’s next deputy chief of staff for operations, plans, and requirements, replacing Lt. Gen. Hawk Carlisle. Succeeding Field as commander of US Forces Japan and commander of 5th Air Force at Yokota AB, Japan, will be Maj. Gen. Salvatore Angelella, whom the Senate approved on April 26—the same day as Field’s confirmation—to receive a third star for his new role. The Senate also gave the nod for Lt. Gen. Charles Davis, current Electronic Systems Center commander, to become the military deputy in the Air Force Secretariat’s acquisition office. He’ll replace Lt. Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger, whom the Senate has confirmed to receive a fourth star to head Air Force Material Command. Maj. Gen. Bruce Litchfield received the Senate’s go–ahead for promotion to the rank of lieutenant general to oversee the new Air Force Sustainment Center at Tinker AFB, Okla. Maj. Gen. Andrew Busch also received the Senate’s okay for a third star for his new gig as AFMC vice commander.
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.