Air Force Materiel Command boss Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger was inducted into the Order of the Sword Feb. 5 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. “I am overwhelmed and humbled, by this spectacular ceremony and by the recognition that comes with it,” Wolfenbarger said. “My long-held personal belief is that this is the premier recognition that any leader in our Air Force could ever aspire to attain.” Wolfenbarger was the first female from AFMC to be nominated for the award, which is the highest honor the enlisted force can bestow upon an individual for “conspicuous and significant contributions to the welfare and prestige of the enlisted force, to mission effectiveness, and to the overall military establishment.” CMSgt. Michael Warner, AFMC command chief, heralded Wolfenbarger’s “servant leadership” in his ceremony remarks.
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.