Construction of the Ronald Reagan Memorial is now underway at Vandenberg AFB, Calif. The Air Force began the project with a groundbreaking ceremony Aug. 29 at North Base, reports SrA. Stephen Cadette. “This memorial will last for generations of people watching a launch,” said Ron Cortopassi, 30th Space Wing director of staff. “When they come here, they will learn about President Reagan’s contributions to missile defense.” Icon Consulting Group, Inc. won the contract to construct the limestone memorial for $344,200 and is set to complete construction in January 2008. The memorial will feature the bronze bust and plaque unveiled last year.
The Air Force is planning to spend $2.19 billion over the next five years to acquire new C-37 jets for transporting military and civilian leaders. That’s on top of another $1.17 billion in projected funding for the VC-25B “Air Force One” replacement.