Three colonels deployed to Joint Base Balad, Iraq, flew their 3,000th flying hour in an F-16 during sorties on Dec. 2. They are John Dolan, Michael Fantini, and David Romuald. They join some 150 fellow Viper pilots who have reached that milestone. Dolan is vice commander of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Balad. Fantini is commander of the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group and Romuald is deputy commander. (Balad photo release)
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.