TSgt. Ryan E. Gangadeen, the noncommissioned-officer-in-charge of operations training? at the 1st Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB, Colo., is one of the Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2014. During a one-year deployment to Afghanistan, Gangadeen served as the lead professional military education advisor to the Afghan Air Force, helping to guide the creation of the AAF training regimen. He quickly responded to a vehicle-born improvised explosive device threat, ensuring the safe return of 33 coalition and 22 civilians to Kabul International Airport. As a certified convoy vehicle commander, he led seven outside-the-wire NATO mobility missions, securing 18 members with zero incidents. During the deployment, Gangadeen directed 44 AAF courses for 60 career fields. He evaluated four maintenance training contracts worth $527 million, revealed six duplicate contractual requirements, and saved $40 million. Air Force Magazine is shining the spotlight on each OAY in the days leading up to AFA’s Air & Space Conference that starts on Sept. 15 in National Harbor, Md. AFA will honor these airmen there. Also featured to date:
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.