Air refuelers having busy year supporting deployed operations

Published Oct. 15, 2010
By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Through the end of September, Airmen flying tanker aircraft in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility off-loaded more than 784 million pounds of fuel to more than 61,600 U.S. and coalition aircraft supporting deployed operations in 2010.

Those numbers, compiled by air mobility planners at the U.S. Air Forces Central's Combined Air and Space Operations Center in Southwest Asia, signify the impact of air refueling aircraft like the KC-10 Extender and the KC-135 Stratotanker have on the success of operations, officials say.

For instance, KC-10s and KC-135s and the Airmen who maintain and fly them support daily refueling missions for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Over the skies of Afghanistan, tankers refuel fighter aircraft performing close-air support missions, which in turn support troops on the ground. AFCENT statistics show 2010 has also been one of the busiest years for close-air support missions with 23,748 completed in the U.S. CENTCOM area of responsibility through September.

Tanker Airmen say they're proud to support the troops on the ground.

"With the constant supply of tanker gas, we can enable our fellow troops on the ground and in the air to continue to support their mission with the ongoing war," said Capt. Sean Flynn, a KC-10 pilot with the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia.

Captain Flynn, who is deployed from the Air Force Reserve's 514th Air Mobility Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., recalled his aircrew team's support over Afghanistan on a recent combat air refueling mission.

"One night we flew out of our tanker track to support two F-16 (Fighting Falcon) receivers that were very low on fuel," said Captain Flynn. "We were the only tanker in the northern area of the country at the time. We expedited to meet them where they were on conducting ground support. They were extremely appreciative of the fuel and let us know that they had just been in support of our fellow troops in combat on the ground. By giving them a few thousand pounds of gas, they were going to be able to support the ground troops for up to another hour."

In April, a news report from 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, highlighted the KC-135s of the 22nd EARS reaching 16,000 air refueling sorties for deployed operations -- particularly over Afghanistan. During the 16,000th mission, a KC-135 off-loaded "hundreds of pounds of jet fuel to FA-18s."

"Simply put, we get the gas to the fight," Lt. Col. Michael Seiler, 22nd EARS commander, said in the report. "We enable so much down there. We touch just about every action that has any input from the air at all. You name it -- we're there, all over Afghanistan. There's not one section we don't touch."

While the 908th EARS is the only deployed KC-10 unit in the U.S. CENTCOM area of responsibility, KC-135s are based at multiple locations. In addition to the 22nd EARS in Kyrgyzstan, KC-135s also operate with the 340th EARS at another non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia under the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing. A June news report said it's "the largest tanker operation on the planet."

Lt. Col. Michael Frymire, 340th EARS commander in June, noted how the 340th has more than 30 airplanes and almost 50 crews performing aerial refueling missions for operations New Dawn and Enduring Freedom. "Using my own paradigm from other flying squadrons, the amount of infrastructure we have here -- based on the size of the operation -- it's pretty amazing we're able to sustain it," he said in the 379th AEW Public Affairs report.

Overall, in extending global reach and "building air bridges," tankers have continuously supported global operations, according to Air Mobility Command facts. In an Oct. 8 "AMC Snapshot" report, it shows tankers have off-loaded 12.41 billion pounds of fuel since Sept. 11, 2001. That equates to more than 1.85 billion gallons used to support global air mobility operations. And, it's those events of Sept. 11 that motivated many Americans to action and still motivate them today -- including those who serve in the air refueling business.

"On Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, I was just a first semester freshman in college," said Capt. Michael Jackson, also a KC-10 pilot with the 908th EARS who is deployed from the 9th Air Refueling Squadron, 60th Air Mobility Wing, at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. "I remember feeling this sense of pride about America and the flag -- one that I'm sure many of us hadn't quite felt before. It was around this time when I decided to pursue military aviation. Years later, here I am, a KC-10 aircraft commander flying combat missions over Afghanistan."

(Staff Sgt. Kelly White, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs, Staff Sgt. Carolyn Viss, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs, and Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs, contributed to this story.)