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  • KC-10 cargo load training facility opens doors

    The new KC-10 cargo load training facility was officially opened at a ribbon cutting ceremony Dec. 16. The structure is the first of its kind in the Air Force, as a facility for cargo load training on the KC-10 Extender did not exist before today. The building will allow Airmen to train on cargo

  • KC-10 crew flies flag of hope

    A KC-10 Extender crew at a forward-deployed location carried a special message of hope and peace on their flight over Iraq on Dec. 9.As part of the project “Hands on America,” the crew displayed from their boom window an 86-by-76-inch American Flag hand-crafted by Iowa school students. In doing so,

  • KC-10 crew performs humanitarian mission while training

    A flight crew of Airmen from here performed a mission Sept. 3 through 4 that will result in warmer winters for many Afghans. The reservists from the 76th Air Refueling Squadron flew a KC-10 Extender to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., for 10 pallets of winter clothing, blankets and shoes that

  • KC-10 Extenders keep jets on target

    Staying in the fight is key to U.S. and coalition forces maintaining air superiority during combat missions.Helping ensure these pilots stay in the fight is the responsibility of the crews onboard refueling tankers like the KC-10 Extenders participating in the Red Flag-Alaska 07-1 exercise April 5

  • KC-10 maintainers keep mission flowing

    KC-10 Extender maintainers work long days on the flightline with temperatures reaching nearly 135 degrees on the scorching concrete, and it is even hotter in the KC-10s parked on the ramp. These are the conditions facing the Airmen of the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. The

  • KC-10 maintainers work around the clock to keep aircraft fuel flowing

    Airmen of the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron generate KC-10 Extenders to refuel aircraft providing combat support in Afghanistan. "Everything that we do on this ramp directly supports the troops in Afghanistan," said Staff Sgt. Charles Powers, a crew chief from the 380th

  • KC-10 marks 20 years of deployment, nearly 30 years of operations

    Jan. 17th was a special day for the KC-10 Extender community. It marked the day KC-10s, aircrews and maintainers have been on continuous deployment for 20 years -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year -- to Southwest Asia in support of combat operations.Facts show the KC-10 will pass a

  • KC-10 serves 25 continuous years in CENTCOM

    For more than two decades, the KC-10 Extender has been refueling U.S. and coalition aircraft from an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. This year marked 25 years of continuous operation for the aircraft from this location, and it is a vital piece in accomplishing U.S. Air Forces Central Command

  • KC-10s display global reach in the Pacific

    Three KC-10 Extenders flew from Hawaii and Wake Island Airfield to refuel five C-17 Globemaster IIIs carrying over 300 coalition paratroopers across the Pacific Ocean, July 13, 2017.

  • KC-10s keep Red Flag-Alaska aircraft fueled to fight

    A fleet of KC-10 Extenders and their aircrews are deployed here to keep jets in the fight as they participate in a 10-day air combat training exercise over Alaska. The KC-10 Airmen and aircrews at Eielson Air Force Base for Red Flag-Alaska 09-2 are from McGuire AFB, N.J., and Travis AFB, Calif.  "We

  • KC-10s provide rapid aerial refueling

    Think of this number: 1.2 million. That's the number of pounds of fuel the KC-10s from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing deliver daily to aircraft that provide air support to warfighters in Afghanistan. This means that when coalition forces need air support, aircraft such as A-10 Thunderbolt IIs,

  • KC-135 adds communications-relay capability

    While mostly known as a “flying gas station,” the KC-135 Stratotanker has served in many mission roles throughout its 45-plus years of service.The aircraft has been a flying command post, an observation platform for the Open Skies Treaty, a zero-gravity simulator and a flying hospital.Soon, this

  • KC-135 aircraft boom instructor platform wins Spark Tank cup

    Master Sgt. Bartek Bachleda, 22nd Air Refueling Wing aircraft boom instructor, from McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, won the inaugural Air Force Spark Tank competition cup at the Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium Feb. 22, 2018, in Orlando, Florida, for his KC-135 aircraft boom instructor

  • KC-135 aircrews ‘fuel the fight’ for B-52s

    In six short weeks, deployed KC-135 Stratotankers have delivered more than 11 million pounds of fuel to B-52 Stratofortresses that have flown forward into Afghan airspace to provide close air support for U.S. and coalition forces on the ground. Without this fuel, the B-52s would not be able to carry

  • KC-135 brakes changing to carbon

    Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker brake systems will go from metal to lighter, longer-lasting carbon now that service officials approved an initiative proposed here, that will save millions in tax payer dollars.Dubbed the “largest improved item replacement program in Air Force history,” the new

  • KC-135 bringing fuel to fight

    Whether refueling a fighter, bomber or a cargo aircraft, the KC-135 Stratotanker continues to play a vital role in military air operations and the war on terrorism."Everything we do has a direct impact on the war on terror and how the (United States) is viewed elsewhere in the world." said Lt. Col.

  • KC-135 brings force extension to Iceland

    The 351st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron and the KC-135 Stratotanker deployed from Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, make up an important part of the 48th Air Expeditionary Group here in Iceland.

  • KC-135 crashes in Kyrgyzstan

    An Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker crashed May 3 in northern Kyrgyzstan. Emergency response crews are on scene. The status of the crew is unknown.The crew and aircraft are assigned to the Transit Center at Manas near Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.The cause of the crash is under investigation.(Courtesy 376th Air

  • KC-135 crew airlifts wounded from Afghanistan

    A few Airmen from the 931st Air Refueling Group spent their Super Bowl weekend resting from a 12-day aeromedical evacuation mission in Afghanistan. Eight reservists from the 931st manned a specially equipped KC-135 Stratotanker that made four back-to-back trips to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, to

  • KC-135 crew on point in Afghan skies

    From the window of her "office," Senior Airman Brittany Bahner breathes deeply and takes in the view of the brown, arid expanse near Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. She waits patiently, lying prone in the boom pod at the rear of the KC-135 Stratotanker, while communicating through her headset with

  • KC-135 crew saves F-16 pilot from ejecting over enemy lines

    A KC-135 Stratotanker crew from McConnell Air Force Base saved an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot from ejecting over Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-held territory in 2015, which could have resulted in the Airman's captivity or death.

  • KC-135 featured on NPR's Morning Edition

    JJ Sutherland, a Pentagon correspondent for National Public Radio, climbed aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., recently to produce a report on the aging aircraft for NPR's Morning Edition. Titled "The Stratotanker: A flying piece of history endures," the nearly

  • KC-135 integral to F-16 training in Greece

    The first time the Air Force attempted to refuel an aircraft in flight, aircrews successfully stayed aloft for 151 hours. That was over 85 years ago, and the Air Force today has made quite a few innovations since then.

  • KC-135 key player in fighting war on terrorism

    More than 50 years after entering the Air Force inventory, the KC-135 Stratotanker continues to serve by supporting the service's newest fighter jet, the F-22 Raptor, during its first overseas deployment. "I think it's remarkable that we have a 50-year old tanker refueling a two-year old F-22," said

  • KC-135 MOD program closes out year with magic number: Block 45

    The KC-135 Block 45 upgrade program reached a milestone by closing out 2016 with the 45th aircraft in the modification line here. Block 45 completely remodels the inside of the flight deck with new liquid crystal displays, radio altimeter, autopilot, digital flight director and other computer module

  • KC-135 operations -- the flow behind the mission

    They have their hands in virtually every aspect of the KC-135 Stratotanker mission here -- they are the flow, the operational heartbeat. It starts at the top with their commander, runs through the operations officer, to a KC-135 mission planning cell, then to the aircrews. Then there is a support

  • KC-135 receiving communications relay ability

    The KC-135 Stratotanker will soon add a communications capability to its mission.The installation of Roll-on Beyond Line of Sight Enhancement equipment, will help the flow of information on KC-135s while the aircraft conduct their primary mission of air refueling.Used primarily as a "flying gas

  • KC-135 Stratotankers keep allied forces flying

    As the Air Force's operating tempo climbs to unprecedented heights in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the efforts of refueling tankers are keeping the air war on track.With the average daily number of air sorties going from 1,000 to 1,800 in the past two days, according to a defense official,

  • KC-135 supports F-16 crews tracking stolen Cessna

    A KC-135 Stratotanker crew supported and refueled F-16 Fighting Falcons as the figher aircraft pilots closely trailed a stolen Cessna from a Canadian flight school crossed the U.S.-Canada border April 6 were on its trail. The Cessna 172, stolen by its pilot from a flight school in Thunder Bay,

  • KC-135 tankers get a boost from innovative, fuel-saving engines

    Some decades-old KC-135 Stratotanker are drinking from the fountain of youth -- or at least the engines are.Airmen installed the first of 1,440 upgraded Stratotanker engines at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., Jan. 15. The 1970s engine parts will be replaced with modern engines that burn less fuel and

  • KC-135 team keeps fuel flowing down range

    One of the key missions of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing here is providing fuel to the fighters and bombers supporting coalition warfighters in Afghanistan.This means the KC-135 Stratotanker operators and maintainers from Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., and MacDill AFB, Fla., must keep their

  • KC-135 testing aims at fueling efficiency, cost savings

    Engineers at the Air Force Flight Test Center here are testing a system known as the Automatic Receiver Aircraft Identification, or ARAI.  Currently installed on a test aerial refueler, if the tests are successful, they say, the system will significantly improve air-to-air refueling.The ARAI is

  • KC-135 to celebrate 50 years of flying

    The Air Force will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the KC-135 Stratotanker here Sept. 8-9. The ceremony will honor a tanker aircraft that is still supporting operations for Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft as well as aircraft of allied nations around the world. The KC-135's principal

  • KC-135 wing moves from Michigan to Florida

    Air Force Reserve Command's 927th Air Refueling Wing transferred to MacDill AFB April 27, forming a classic associate unit partnership with Air Mobility Command's 6th Air Mobility Wing. Before the move, the 927th ARW was at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., where it flew and maintained its

  • KC-135, C-17 crews rendezvous for refuel readiness

    A KC-135 aircrew from the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan flew to Hawaii to meet up with Hickam Air Force Base's C-17 Globemaster III crew to practice in-flight refueling procedures. Kadena AB's crews don't get many opportunities to work with cargo aircraft like the C-17. At home they work

  • KC-135: 50 years of refueling the fleet

    In an effort to modernize its aging tanker fleet, the Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a contract to build the KC-45 aerial refueling aircraft in February. The new tanker is set to augment and eventually replace the KC-135 Stratotanker, currently the oldest airframe still in use by the Air Force.

  • KC-135: 50 years old and still refueling

    Airmen with the Hawaii Air National Guard's 154th Maintenance Squadron are servicing a fleet of aging KC-135 Stratotankers here. "I'll read you the number, are you ready?" Tech. Sgt. Phillip Ferriman asked Senior Airman Thom Pialda, both electrical engineers with the 154th MXS. "L-24-6, no, wait.

  • KC-135's 50 years of service recognized

    Celebration activities for the KC-135 Stratotanker's 50 years of service culminated in a banquet Sept. 9 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. More than 400 military and civilian guests, mostly past and present crewmen, maintainers, community leaders and elected

  • KC-135s get lighting upgrades

    The C/KC-135 Stratotanker is in and out of Southwest Asia, but these days it supports more than just air refueling operations. As the KC-135 performs more aeromedical evacuation missions, officials said they realized the fleet wasn't properly equipped to care for patients due to inadequate

  • KC-135s serve as enablers providing air bridges

    Their mission is critical to the global war on terrorism. They perform maintenance for the KC-135 Stratotankers that enable U.S. and coalition aircraft to sustain flight and take the fight to the enemy. Stratotanker maintainers are the keys to the KC-135’s success in supporting Operation Enduring

  • KC-135s stay perfect during 17-day hot streak

    Really good or just lucky – which describes the 376th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron?From Aug. 25 to Sept. 10, all of the KC-135 Stratotankers here were ready, willing and able to get the job done in the sky over Afghanistan.The mission-capable rate target for Air Mobility Command

  • KC-135s surpass 100,000 combat hours

    The KC-135 Stratotanker fleet at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, flew more than 14,700 sorties in 2015 accumulating 103,419 combat hours in support of Operations Inherent Resolve and Freedom’s Sentinel.

  • KC-135s take on aeromedical evacuation role

    While the KC-135 Stratotanker was originally designed to extend the length of other aircrafts' flight times, aircrews at Fairchild are also using the airplane for a completely different mission: to extend medical care to critically injured patients. Tanker aircraft began augmenting the Air Force's

  • KC-46 completes its first aeromedical evacuation mission

    Over the course of six flights and 17 hours, the mission, which originated at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, transited five patients and two attendees to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia; Patrick Air Force Base, Florida; and Travis AFB, California. The mission was evaluated by the Air Force Testing

  • KC-46 completes required flight tests

    The successful A-10 mission was the last of six in-flight refueling demonstrations required before the tanker program can request approval from Frank Kendall, the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, to award production Lots 1 and 2, totaling 19 KC-46A aircraft.

  • KC-46 critical design review nearing completion

    The Air Force and Boeing successfully conducted the KC-46 critical design review, or CDR, from July 8-10 at the Boeing facility in Mukilteo, Wash. The KC-46 weapon system CDR was the culmination of nine months of component and sub-system design reviews, which blended the best practices of both the

  • KC-46 enters critical design review phase

    The Air Force KC-46A program director described the critical development phases of the next-generation refueling aircraft during the 2012 Air Force Association Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition in Washington, D.C., Sept. 18.Maj. Gen. John F. Thompson, program executive officer for

  • KC-46 hits milestone at Edwards AFB

    Fielding began last week on America’s newest air refueling tanker aircraft – the KC-46 Pegasus. Operationalizing a new military aircraft does not happen often, but when it does, it typically goes through Edwards Air Force Base – the center of the aerospace testing universe. Regardless of whether it

  • KC-46 Pegasus demo team introduced by 56th ARS

    The team, representing the newest generation of air refueling capabilities, took center stage to showcase the KC-46’s unique features and the evolution of the Air Force’s tanker fleet.

  • KC-46 pilot selection board calls for nominations

    Pilots interested in becoming KC-46 tanker pilots to fill positions in the Air Force’s first two operational KC-46 squadrons at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, have until Sept. 7, 2018, to submit their application packages. (U.S. Air Force graphic by Kat Bailey)

  • KC-46 progress on track

    The top acquisition priority in the Air Force - acquiring a new aerial refueling capability - is proceeding "on track," Maj. Gen. John Thompson, the program executive officer for Tankers, said.Two years and several key milestones after the contract was awarded, a great deal of progress has been

  • KC-46 team wins DOD environmental award

    The KC-46A Pegasus program’s Environment, Safety and Occupational Health team was named the Defense Department’s top large program in environmental excellence in weapon system acquisition April 22.

  • KC-46 test aircraft touches down at Edwards

    The KC-46 program's first test aircraft, a Boeing 767-2C (EMD-1), departed from its home at Boeing Field in Seattle and touched down at Edwards Air Force Base for the first time for testing Oct. 15.

  • KC-46A approved for production

    The KC-46A Pegasus program received Milestone C approval from Frank Kendall, the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, signaling the aircraft is ready to enter into production.

  • KC-46A equipment processing begins at McConnell

    Another step toward the KC-46A Pegasus flying over Kansas started late October as 22nd Logistics Readiness Squadron Airmen began paving an innovative path through the maintenance equipment review process.

  • KC-46A groundbreaking ceremony marks giant step forward for air refueling

    A new era in Air Force air refueling capabilities took a giant step forward June 30. Shovels overturned the first piles of dirt during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new KC-46A Pegasus at McConnell Air Force Base. The ceremony symbolized significant progress in the KC-46A program and that

  • KC-46A Pegasus approved to refuel 97% of joint force receivers

    Less than one year after the KC-46A was approved for its first ICR, Minihan approved daily task-able operational use of the KC-46A to refuel the B-1B Lancer, C-135 variants, E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, EC-130H Compass Call, F-35B/C Lightning II, KC-10 Extender and P-8 Poseidon

  • KC-46A Pegasus completes first around-the-world flight

    The first global circumnavigation for the KC-46A Pegasus provided extensive training opportunities for maintainers and aircrew at multiple locations on a seven-leg, 13-day journey that included its debut at the 2019 Dubai Air Show, or DAS. The first global circumnavigation for the KC-46A Pegasus

  • KC-46A training, operational bases, alternatives selected

    Air Force officials announced today Altus Air Force Base, Okla., as the preferred alternative for the KC-46A formal training unit (FTU).McConnell AFB, Kan., was selected as the preferred alternative for the first active duty led KC-46A main operating base (MOB 1) and Fairchild AFB, Wash., and Grand

  • Keating passes PaCom torch to Willard

     Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, presided over a change-of-command ceremony here Oct. 19 as Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating passed the U.S. Pacific Command helm to Navy Adm. Robert F. Willard. Admiral Willard assumed command of the

  • Keen eye leads to safety of 1,200 F-16s

    An astute observation by a noncommissioned officer here has resulted in widespread changes to maintenance requirements affecting more than 1,200 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft.While performing inspections on an F-16, Tech. Sgt. Jason Anderson, a 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron nondestructive

  • Keen Sword exercise sharpens US-Japan alliance

    About 10,500 U.S. servicemembers and their Japan Self Defense Force counterparts are participating in exercise Keen Sword 2011, Dec. 3 through 10, on military installations throughout mainland Japan, Okinawa and in the water surrounding Japan.Keen Sword is a regularly-scheduled exercise designed to

  • Keen Sword: One team, one fight

    For four days, the U.S. and Japan Air Self-Defense Force pilots went through countless briefings and motivational speeches. On Nov. 8, 2012, more than 30 pilots sat in their jets, side-by-side, and waited for the crew chiefs to give them the signal to taxi-out. It was time to take to the skies.Keen

  • Keep 'em flying

    Airman 1st Class Robert Parson, a 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron crew chief, inspects the rear turbine of a C-130 Hercules before the aircraft departs on a mission supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Parson and other members of the 777th EAS are from the 317th Airlift Group at Dyess Air

  • Keep fighting: Air Guard officer beats cancer

    “We like to feel like we have control of our destiny, and plan it out. I wasn't going to let this illness derail me. Everybody who has had cancer has their own battle, and you need to know up front that the battle can be successful.”

  • Keep Focus on Troops, Mullen Tells Joint Forces Command

    The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff praised the members of U.S. Joint Forces Command Oct. 29 for their efforts on behalf of the nation's warfighters while urging them to maintain that focus going forward.In a ceremony near the command's Norfolk, Va., headquarters, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen

  • Keep important papers updated, in safe place

    Safeguarding important papers is something we all have been taught to do. Some of us lock them in a box underneath the bed; others store them in a safety deposit box, or tuck them away in a 'secret' coffee can. Whatever the method, we know these papers must be kept safe. But what is the point in

  • Keep on trackin'

    Staff Sgt. Chanel Higgins reviews decorations being processed at Camp Stronghold Freedom at Karshi-Khanabad, Uzbekistan, on March 8. Higgins tracks about 200 awards and decorations a month. She is assigned to the 416th Air Expeditionary Group and deployed from the 27th Operations Group at Cannon

  • Keep OPSEC in mind, even online

    In today's highly technological world, the fast-paced sharing of information can be considered friend or foe to those in the Air Force. There are several public Web sites which offer individuals free membership to create personalized Web pages. Two of the most popular social-networking sites are

  • Keep out!

    Staff Sgt. James L. Walters, from the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing's security forces squadron, installs concertina wire on top of a barrier at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Walters is an Air National Guard member deployed from the 129th Security Forces Squadron

  • Keep safety in mind as summer ends

    The long Labor Day weekend marks the traditional end of summer and offers many service members, civilians and their families the final opportunity to take to the highways and byways for a summertime adventure. Emphasis on managing risk is key, not only for a holiday weekend that historically

  • Keep safety in mind in seasonal, holiday plans

    Temperature changes, shorter daylight hours, increased travel and emotional overload are hallmarks of the fall, winter and holiday seasons that safety officials say result in preventable mishaps.“It’s as simple as taking the same safety practices and procedures we use on duty and applying them to

  • Keep up Air Force records, personal info for promotion sake

    The one constant among Airmen is the desire to be promoted. There are many things Airmen can do to affect their chances for promotion, but perhaps the most important is ensuring their personal information is correct. Missing or inaccurate enlisted or officer performance reports, decorations, awards

  • Keeping a promise to POW, MIA families

    The day before five soldiers became prisoners of war in Operation Iraqi Freedom, a meeting for relatives of some still lost from past wars demonstrated the eternal promise that everyone comes home.A "Family Member Update" brought experts working on POW and MIA cases together to share information

  • Keeping a Thunderbolt thundering

    A crew chief inspects one of the two engines on an A-10 Thunderbolt II that has just returned from a close air support mission over Afghanistan. The A-10 is part of the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Jerry Morrison)

  • Keeping a watchful eye

    Airman 1st Class Brandon White scans the horizon for potential adversaries atop a wall in the city of Qal'eh-ye Musa Pa-in, Afghanistan, on March 12 during a special delivery to the village. White, who is deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., was on the wall as part of a security detail as 20