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  • A KC-46 Pegasus assigned to McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., approaches a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., for a refueling, Jan. 30, 2020.

    Delivering excellence: MacDill boom operators train for perfection

    There’s a saying in the Air Force about refueling aircraft, something along the lines of nothing accomplishes mission success without tanker aircraft gas. This saying rings true in Tampa. Refueling aircraft such as MacDill Air Force Base’s KC-135 Stratotanker are vital to mission success and keeping other military aircraft flying all over the globe.
  • Staff Sgt. Leonard James, 436th Logistic Readiness Squadron Vehicle Maintenance, holds a photo of his late fiancé Mesha. James lost Mesha and his unborn daughter, McKenzie Harmony James, in a 2010 car accident while attending vehicle maintenance technical training. (U.S. Air Force illustration by Senior Airman Christopher Quail) [image color has been modified for dramatic effect]

    Are You Okay?

    It’s 2010 and Airman 1st Class Leonard James’ phone vibrates silently in his pocket; he quickly reaches down and sends the call to voicemail. “I was in class and we weren’t supposed to have our phones,” the now staff sergeant recalls. James was at Port Hueneme Naval Base, California, a technical training base for Airmen selected for vehicle maintenance career paths. The Air Force wasn’t what James planned for himself, but his high school sweetheart and fiancé, Mesha, was pregnant with their first child, McKenzie Harmony James, and he felt the Air Force would help him support his growing family.
  • A KC-135 Stratotanker sits in the 6th Maintenance Squadron (MXS) hangar at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., Nov. 25, 2019.

    Cramped spaces and fuel vapors: MacDill “Tank Divers”

    Tucked away behind U.S. Central Command and MacDill Air Force Base, Florida’s traditional hangars lies a hangar originally built to house fighter jets. On a given day, peeking out of that hangar will sit a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft seemingly out of place in the considerably smaller maintenance shop, but surely, it’s in the right hands.
  • U.S. Air Force Airmen stand with a recovered KC-135 Stratotanker Aug. 4, 2018, at Bangor Air National Guard Base, Maine.

    Total Force maintainers road trip for KC-135 recovery

    The skies were calm over the state of New York as a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, cruised through the veil of blue, en route to a deployment. All of a sudden, un-commanded flight control movements began to inexplicably shake the aircraft. As the pilots rushed to troubleshoot the situation, the aircraft began to drop altitude.
  • U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Caleb Kavanaugh, 60th Operations Support Squadron Aircrew Flight Equipment technician, inspects aircrew equipment July 9, 2019, at Travis Air Force Base, California. Travis’ AFE flight works to keep aircrew flight equipment in good working condition thereby safeguarding aircrew personnel in the event of dangerous situations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Christian Conrad)

    Aircrew Flight Equipment keep pilots seeing, flying

    AFE flights have the important mission of keeping the tools used during missions operational and in good condition.
  • Kelly Barrett (third from left), 18th Air Force commander spouse, and Trish Simpson (far right), 18th AF command chief spouse, pose for a photo with Team Fairchild key spouses at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, May 21, 2019. Barrett and Simpson visited Fairchild to gain insight about Team Fairchild Key Spouse efforts that aid Airmen’s families. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Whitney Laine)

    18th AF, Fairchild key spouses address education partnerships, license reciprocity

    Moving to a new area presents unique challenges to military families. Spouses often need to look for new jobs, children move to new schools and the support networks families have relied on change with new scenery. Key Spouses are one resource the Air Force calls on to offer support to families throughout arrival, transition and establishment at their new assignments.
  • The 92nd Logistics Readiness Squadron utilizes the newly implemented Weigh-In-Motion scale to expedite cargo deployment functions with a more accurate and efficient process at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, April 17, 2019. This innovation reduces the entire process to be as simple as driving over a plate in the ground to display the weight, dimensions and center of balance in one step. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Whitney Laine)

    Fairchild Airmen enhance deployment line, reduce man hours

    As the world modernizes around us, a culture of innovation has swept through the Air Force, encouraging Airmen to enhance nearly every part of our mission. That culture is no different at Fairchild, where a dedicated team of Airmen found ways to save both manpower and time. Newly implemented Weigh-In-Motion scales expedite cargo deployment functions with a more accurate and efficient process, as part of Team Fairchild’s Continuous Process Improvement efforts.
  • Airmen of the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron gathered in honor of their 70th anniversary and to celebrate history they’ve made since being established only two years following the foundation of the Air Force. The 93rd ARS has withstood relocation, change of mission sets and has continued their legacy as the first air refueling squadron to pave the way for Team Fairchild as the premier air refueling base. (U.S. Air Force Courtesy Graphic)

    Masters of the Art: 70 years of setting the foundation, still leading the charge

    The 93rd Air Refueling Squadron has stood the test of time through two relocations and a change of mission set and has continued their legacy as the first air refueling squadron to pave the way for Team Fairchild as the premier air refueling base. The 93rd ARS was established only two years after the Air Force was founded. They gathered to celebrate their 70th anniversary and honor their history on March 29, 2019.
  • Tech. Sgt. Michael Vanderhoef, 60th Surgical Operations Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of the Orthotics Lab, demonstrates the process for making an orthotics brace April 17, 2018 inside David Grant USAF Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. In the last year, the Orthotics Lab has cared for more than 4,000 patients and produced nearly 1,000 custom fabricated devices. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. James Hodgman)

    DGMC brace shop designs first tibial fracture orthosis in eight years

    A 12-year-old boy raced toward the ball. He was determined to kick it into the back of the net to win the game. Another child challenged the would-be goal scorer and their legs slammed into one another in a violent collision.
  • Capt. Aisha Lockett, 60th Air Mobility Wing executive officer, and Capt. Broderick Lockett, 21st Airlift Squadron director of staff, stand together on the flightline at Travis Air Force Base, California, Mar. 27. The Locketts have been at Travis since 2015 and, in that time, have contributed not only to the base's standard of living, but also to its history and legacy. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christian Conrad)

    Dual-military couple continues to grow together in challenging climate

    The Locketts came to Travis Air Force Base, California, in 2015 and in that time, what grass they have found themselves on has been plentifully watered. From Broderick’s participation in the Tuskegee Airmen heritage flight to Aisha’s work in organizing a fun run in support of the Air Force Assistance Fund, their mark on Travis has been one of compassion, hard work and pride. But being a dual-military couple hasn’t been without its challenges.
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