The Air Force has gone since Feb. 17, 2011, without an on-duty ground fatality, said service safety officials on Monday. This span of more than one year is the longest ground-fatality-free stretch in the service’s history, they said. “This wonderful feat is due to the unrelenting commitment by commanders, supervisors, safety professionals, and airmen at all levels to accomplishing the mission safety and effectively,” said Maj. Gen. Greg Feest, Air Force chief of safety. He added, “It’s truly a team effort.” Bill Parson, Air Force chief of ground safety, applauded the commitment to safety, which he said allows “airmen [to] work more confidently and efficiently.” On-duty ground safety accidents can include industrial, occupational, recreational, and traffic-related incidents, according to the Air Force Safety Center. (Kirtland report by Masao Doi)
The Air Force on March 12 awarded contract modifications worth a combined $2.4 billion to Boeing to procure an undisclosed number of E-7 Wedgetail as part of the program's engineering and manufacturing development phase and continue work on the airborne battle management aircraft’s radar.