Warrior of the North named top boom... twice

  • Published
  • By By Senior Airman Tim Bazar
  • 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Sqdn. Public Affairs
US Central Command Area of Responsiblity --  A deployed 911th Air Refueling Squadron NCO was recently named Air Mobility Command’s 2005 Outstanding Flying Instructor of the Year for his work as an instructor boom operator. 

This is the second year in a row Tech. Sgt. Tom Ireland has been praised by squadron and command leaders as the best in the business. 

He won the equivalent award last year while assigned to Air Education and Training Command. 

“Ever since I was a kid I wanted to fly,” he said. “I ended up with the best flying job in the Air Force.” 

While stationed at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., he was named the best of 68 formal training unit boom operator instructors at the 97th Air Mobility Wing. He was also the only staff sergeant out of 336 in the entire wing to be promoted to technical sergeant through the Stripes to Exceptional Performers program. 

“Sergeant Ireland is one of the best boom operators in the business. He flies each mission as if it’s a checkride, and has developed a habit pattern of doing his job by the book and doing it in an excellent manner. His standard equals excellence,” said Grand Forks Air Force Base’s Lt. Col. Patrick Sullivan, currently serving as 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron commander. 

“On his last five checkrides he’s earned five ‘exceptionally qualified’ ratings in a row, with seven EQs total. That’s unheard of in our community,” he said. 

Sergeant Ireland also has logged more than 3,719 total refueling hours - 1,007.9 as an instructor and 262 as an evaluator. Nearly 350 of those hours were in combat and another 363.4 were in support of combat operations. 

Refueling isn’t the only mission of a boom operator, said Sergeant Ireland. They also double as a loadmaster, passenger coordinator and jump master. 

“We’re probably the most involved enlisted aircrew member in a flight crew, except for the flight engineer,” said Sergeant Ireland. 

Boom operators are critical because some aircraft can’t return to the fight without having to refuel every hour, said Sergeant Ireland. 

“Depending on the conditions, an F-15 may only be able to stay in the air an hour on a full tank,” he said. “So you can’t get lazy or complacent. That’s why boom operators stay in their books and maintain the things they learn in tech school. You’re the only one in the boom pod and no one is there to make sure you do it right.” 

Sergeant Ireland said he maintains focus on his job because he knows how important it is to refuel planes. 

“There are (improvised explosive device) bombs going off all the time on the ground,” he said. “And all I can think about is getting fuel to the fighters and bombers so they can get down there and blow those guys away. I love my job.”