A1C Timothy Pledger, an electronic warfare journeyman with the 20th Aircraft Maintenance Unit at Barksdale AFB, La., delivered his daughter and then deployed overseas on the same day, according to a base release. Pledger was scheduled to depart on a six-month deployment to Andersen AFB, Guam, on Aug. 30, but an aircraft malfunction pushed back his departure, according to the Sept. 7 release. Shortly after arriving back at his home, his pregnant wife’s water broke and the baby was well on its way. With the help of emergency services personnel coaching him on the phone, Pledger brought his daughter Zoey into the world. “The moment was magical,” he said. Pledger deployed to Guam later that day. “To deliver his own daughter early in the morning, when he was supposed to deploy, and not even 12 hours later, go through the processing line and get on a jet to support the mission says a lot about the great airmen we have here,” said MSgt. Anthony Grubb, 2nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron first sergeant. (Barksdale report by SrA. Benjamin Gonsier)
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.