Opening its national tour at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington, Va. on Nov. 14, the “Fly Girls of World War II” exhibit extols the service of the Women Airforce Service Pilots—the WASP. Air Force Maj. Nicole Malachowski, a fighter pilot and current White House Fellow, said at the opening ceremony, “You had a dream; you followed that dream, and your legacy inspired my dream.” The traveling exhibit, which comprises uniforms, photos, training manuals, patches, and other artifacts, is to remain in Arlington through November 2009 before moving on to other venues around the country. (AFPS report by Army SSgt. Michael Carden; Air Force report by TSgt. April Lapetoda)
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.