Frank R. Walker, 66, an Air Force civilian supporting Operation Enduring Freedom died Oct. 28 of non-combat-related medical causes at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. Walker, of Oklahoma City, Okla., was assigned to the 72nd Civil Engineering Directorate at Tinker AFB, Okla., the Defense Department said in a release Oct. 31. The Tulsa World reported Nov. 1 that Walker died of a heart attack, citing a Tinker spokeswoman. Walker was a project construction manager with the US Army Corps of Engineers while overseas and was on his fifth trip to Afghanistan, according to the newspaper.
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.