US Air Forces in Europe officials launched the command’s first air ground operations wing last week when it activated the 435th AGOW at Ramstein AB, Germany. Air Combat Command was first to establish this new type of wing solely dedicated to supporting battlefield airmen, standing up the 93rd AGOW in December 2007. The new wing at Ramstein will comprise the base’s Contingency Response Group, Air and Space Communications Group, and geographically separated 4th Air Support Operations Group. Col. Tom Gould, first commander of the 435th AGOW, said at the activation ceremony, “This wing’s new capability is certainly one of a kind, from calling in air strikes to opening bases, the capabilities this wing brings to the European and African theater is tremendous.” USAFE redesignated the 435th Air Base Wing as the 435th AGOW and plans to merge units not going under the new wing with the 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein. Third Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Philip Breedlove, who presided over the ceremony, said: “There is nothing wrong with change if it’s in the right direction. This reorganization and stand up represents another step in streamlining our operations.” (Ramstein report by Capt. Megan Schafer)
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.