SSgt Douglas Kechijian, a pararescueman with the Air National Guard’s 103rd Rescue Squadron at Westhampton Beach, N.Y., is one of the Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2015. Kechijian excelled as a pararescue element leader in support of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. While deployed, he singlehandedly saved 12 critically injured soldiers during two improvised explosive device incidents. He was the element leader on a medevac mission aboard USS James E. Williams, recovering two injured sailors at sea. Kechijian created and took charge of the casualty collection point during a high-risk operation and expertly triaged several patients. He trained 12 US Army infantry soldiers to ensure tactical level interoperability with a dedicated recovery search and rescue security team. Additionally, he completed his doctorate in physical therapy from Columbia University with a 3.6 GPA. Air Force Magazine is shining the spotlight on each OAY in the days leading up to AFA’s Air & Space Conference, which starts Sept. 14 in National Harbor, Md. Also featured were: SrA. Allen Cherry, SrA. Meaghan Holley, SrA. Mason Meherg, SSgt. Kresston Davis, SSgt. Lindsey Fuentes, SSgt. Kurtis Harrison, and SSgt. Travis Jordan.
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.