Fifty-five airmen from Air Force Reserve Command’s 440th Airlift Wing at Pope AFB, N.C., deployed in two of their C-130H transports, along with nine colleagues from Pope’s active duty 43rd Airlift Wing, on May 25 to Ramstein AB, Germany, for a 16-day stint in Europe, including possible missions to Africa. The deployment is the first joint mission of the units to the European theater since they formed an association as part of BRAC 2005. “It is historic and it’s a first step in a long lasting relationship of things yet to come,” said Col. Michael Thornton, 43rd Operations Group commander. “We’re glad to see [the active duty personnel] step out and help out the Reserves with this type of mission, as well as the Reserves working together to season some of our aircrew on this type of mission.” As part of BRAC, the 440th AW moved in June 2007 from Milwaukee, Wis., to Pope. (Pope report by SSgt. Jon LaDue)
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.