The Air Force announced in late November that the 353rd Special Operations Group at Kadena AB, Japan, has earned the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor for its “exceptionally meritorious service” from Oct. 1, 2006, to Sept. 30, 2008. This is the 10th time that the group, Air Force Special Operations Command’s only unit based in the Pacific, has won the award, and the fourth time the award has come with the “V” device for valor. “This award is a small representation of the tremendous efforts of the air commandos during the past two years,” said Col. David Mullins, 353rd SOG commander. He continued, “The contributions the men and women of the group have made to operations in multiple areas of responsibility truly deserve this recognition.” Among their numerous activities during this period, airmen of the group conducted combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, supported Republic of Philippines security forces in their fight against terrorists, and participated in numerous joint training events. In September, pararescuemen of the group also saved the lives of two injured crewmembers onboard a commercial freighter out at sea about 750 miles from Guam.
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.