The 906th Air Refueling Squadron at Grand Forks AFB, N.D., has won the Air Force Association’s 2008 David C. Schilling Award. The unit was recognized for the “most outstanding contribution in the field of flight” in 2007, with its activities ranging from wartime support in Afghanistan and Iraq, including aeromedical evacuation, to test and training support and humanitarian assistance. “This award is a tribute to the exceptional airmen in the 906 ARS and Grand Forks Air Force Base,” said Lt. Col. William Snyder, 906 ARS commander. In 2007, the squadron flew 800 combat sorties in Southwest Asia while maintaining a mission effectiveness rate of 98 percent. It offloaded 50 million pounds of fuel to aircraft operating in Iraq and 10 million pounds of fuel to aircraft over Afghanistan. Snyder will accept the award on behalf of the squadron Sept. 15 at AFA’s Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition in Washington D.C. (Grand Forks report by SSgt. J. Paul Croxon)
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.