Air Force officials at Brooks City-Base, Tex., have reorganized the base’s 311th Human Systems Wing into the 311th Air Base Group. This move is meant to allow for better management of base operations as the Brooks installation nears its closure in September 2011 courtesy of BRAC 2005. “The activation of an air base group allows the staff to provide key oversight of closure functions, while other support activities will be provided by units at Lackland [AFB, Tex.,] and Randolph [AFB, Tex.],” the new group said in a release. Since its establishment in October 1998, the 311th HSW has provided operational support to the Air Force Research Lab and other service organizations.
Boeing’s receipt of the 10th lot contract award for the KC-46 Pegasus this week leaves just three lots left to complete the Air Force’s buy of the tanker, although a further buy of 75 additional aircraft as a “bridge” to the Next-Generation Aerial-refueling System (NGAS) seems increasingly likely.