The 39th Air Base Wing at Incirlik AB, Turkey, inactivated the 39th Maintenance Group, casing the group guidon during a base ceremony. “We inactivate the group today because it’s the right thing to do,” stated Col. Eric Beene, 39th ABW commander, during the ceremony June 14. “This doesn’t mean, however, that we value any less the contributions of all of our airmen in the maintenance group. What you do every day here is incredibly important. I am honored to serve with you no matter what the guidon says.” First activated in 1942 as the 39th Air Depot Group at Olmstead Field, Penn., the unit came to Incirlik in 1993. From there, its airmen have supported many missions over the past two decades, including in Iraq and most recently in Libya. (Incirlik report by SrA. Anthony Hyatt)
Sierra Nevada Corp. has acquired five ex-Korean Air 747-8 jumbo jets on which it will host the Survivable Airborne Operations Center. The jets will be transferred next year and will serve as the platforms for the SAOC, the $13 billion contract for which SNC won last month. The jets were…