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Travis tanker provides Super Bowl air coverage

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Charles Rivezzo
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  As part of Operation Noble Eagle, a Travis KC-10 Extender flew an aerial refuel mission Feb. 7 to support flight operations for fighter aircraft conducting patrols of the airspace surrounding Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California.

While many are familiar with the iconic flyovers associated with events that capture the eyes of the nation, few know of the "behind-the-scenes" efforts America's armed forces employ to ensure the safety of those on the ground -- a notion the Travis aircrew was steadfastly aware of.

"I really like the fact that the existence of the fighters flying combat air patrol above the stadium is not really widespread knowledge," said Maj. Joseph Wall, 6th Air Refueling Squadron director of operations. "We are silent professionals, ensuring the public does not need to know that we are here doing our job."

Throughout the sortie, the tanker offloaded more than 65,000 pounds of fuel for a handful of F-15 Eagles assigned to the California Air National Guard.

For one of the youngest Airmen onboard, this mission went behind supporting the Super Bowl, it provided him the rare opportunity to protect the people of his hometown.

"It was awesome to be able to support a national event such as the Super Bowl, especially since I am from the San Francisco area and got to flyover my hometown," said Airman 1st Class Tanner Piety, 6th ARS boom operator. "It was amazing to see the amount of coordination and effort behind this event and the role we play to help keep it secure."

Although the crew of eight wasn't able to enjoy the nation's national pastime from the comforts of home, they did witness parts of the festivities from a view point few people ever lay eyes on.

"We had the opportunity to watch the Blue Angels flyover and the light show from a vantage point few ever get to see," said Staff Sgt. Alex Reynolds, 6th ARS flight engineer. "But more importantly, it was about protecting the many fans in and around the event that made it worthwhile."

Since Sept. 14, 2001, aircrews supporting Operation Noble Eagle have watched over the skies of North America. Led by North American Aerospace Defense Command, the operation is the military response to the type of terrorist attacks used on 9/11. Those attacks prompted NORAD to augment its mission to begin conducting surveillance and control of the aerospace inside Canada and the United States.

Overall, NORAD maintains a robust air defense posture for North America, and employs a variety of assets to accomplish its mission to include fighters on alert, air patrols, airborne early warning assets, radar coverage and connectivity, culminating in a multi-layered air defense posture.

"Although the spotlight shines a bit brighter because of the event associated with this particular mission, Operation Noble Eagle is an undertaking our Airmen support 365 days a year and execute at the highest level," said Col. Joel Jackson, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander.

While these Airmen may have missed the most heavily watched event of the year, they took pride in knowing they directly contributed to ensuring air cover for Super Bowl 50.

"I admire the Airmen involved in this mission," Wall said. "While all their family and friends were enjoying Super Bowl parties safe and sound on the ground, they executed their mission ... securing the airspace above."