An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

OEF fueled by veteran of wartime skies

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Lara Gale
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing
MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan --  Below a KC-135 Stratotanker on any given night in Afghanistan, there may be Soldiers in night-vision goggles moving in on an enemy position. The enemy has circled and outnumbered the troops in the darkness, the Soldiers call for close air support. In short order, an A-10 appears and the enemy scatters, familiar with the drone of the engine and the lethal vengeance that accompanies it.

However well-trained the ground troops, skillful the pilot or mighty the aircraft, if the A-10 runs out of fuel before the fight is through, it could spell failure. But the pilot knows the tanker will be there.

Introduced to the fleet in 1954, there are more than 400 KC-135 tankers still in operation that have seen all the battles this generation of war fighters is most familiar with -- Vietnam, Korea, both Gulf Wars, and smaller contingencies in between. Each war is different; what hasn’t and will never change is the need to fuel the fight.

If aircraft are involved in a war, fuel will be too, said Major Dan Arch, aircraft commander.

Deployed here from the 92nd Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., he and his crew are assigned to the 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, whose mission is to air refuel close air support and intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft for Operation Enduring Freedom, offloading hundreds of pounds of fuel everyday from the KC-135s at Manas AB. With hundreds of sorties flown weekly in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, while training exercises and missions at home continue, the entire KC-135 fleet is a precious and well-used Air Force asset.

The aircraft providing combat and ISR support, and simply an intimidating presence, over Afghanistan are an integral part of the ground battles in the War on Terrorism, said Major Trudy Cassen, director of operations for the 22nd EARS here, during a recent mission to refuel OEF coalition aircraft.

“The KC-135 is called a ‘force-multiplier’,” she said. “And it’s very true.”

It’s important people understand the big picture of what the Air Force is supporting out of Manas AB, she said. “Besides moving all those people and cargo to the fight, we’re keeping jets in the air to protect ground troops.”

As in all critical missions, comfort is not a factor in go/no go decisions for refueling. Missions can be very physically wearing on the aircrew, she said. Old jets are like old cars; they’re not very comfortable, they can be unpredictable, and they require more maintenance than younger machines.

During this particular mission, the jet was having problems with oscillation - a sickening sensation of bobbing up and down like a ship on the sea. It’s been on the books as a problem for weeks, keeping maintenance teams busy problem solving. At the end of the day, if the jet can perform its mission safely, crews just have to work around such inconveniences, said 1st Lt. Juan Amaya, a pilot who was providing passenger support on this mission.

A high operations tempo is another uncomfortable aspect of the life of a KC-135 crew member, but the importance of the mission is what keeps her motivated, said Airman 1st Class Michele Wordekemper, 22nd EARS boom operator.

“I really love being so involved in the flying mission of the Air Force,” she said. She originally wanted to be a navigator or a flight engineer, but is happy where she is now. Boom operators play both those roles to some degree, in addition to controlling the boom itself when aircraft are refueling.

Though they span a wide range of experience levels and come from diverse backgrounds, all crews share a determination to accomplish their missions successfully and safely, said Major Arch. “If it gets down to the wire, the aircraft commander has the final say, but in most situations we work together. We’re a fairly democratic crew.”

It’s important crew members learn to work well with others and pull their weight, said Major Cassen, because they all spend a lot of time together in the air.

The ops tempo has dropped some, especially since the initial phase of OEF following the September 11 attacks. However, some aircrews are still deployed close to 200 days of the year.

“I think everyone realizes the war doesn’t stop because we’re tired,” said Major Cassen.

The KC-135 has a long history of being where they’re needed when they’re needed. The crews and maintainers of the KC-135 today know as well as their predecessors knew how important it is to continue that legacy, she said, and that’s the ultimate focus of each mission. The jets in the air, the troops on the ground and the people of Afghanistan working to build a better future can count on it.