Lending their EARS: KC-135 Airmen endure, thrive in high ops tempo

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Clinton Atkins
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Fighters and bombers constantly soar over the battlefield supporting the U.S. and Coalition Armed Forces' most valuable asset, the troops, with the reassurance that refueling is never more than a shout away.

U.S. and coalition aircraft can rely on the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron and 340th Aircraft Maintenance Unit here in Southwest Asia, to get fuel to them when needed.
The 340 EARS provides air refueling for both Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

"We fly missions refueling every single type of [aircraft with an in-flight refueling capability] in the [area of operation] from fighter jets to "heavies" -- Air Force to Navy to Coalition planes - just about everything," said Capt. Brad Talley, 340 EARS KC-135 co-pilot deployed from the 319th Air Refueling Wing at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. "If they need any type of gas to make their mission longer in order for them to put bombs on target or stay in flight for [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] we're there to extend the life of their mission."

One of the difficulties with in-flight refueling missions is being at the right place at the right time, he said.

"Our whole mantra is 'the tanker will always be there.' We want to be so reliable that no matter what happens in the AOR [the pilots] always knows they will have tanker gas available to keep them flying while taking care of our troops on the ground."

Since Captain Talley is on the tip of the spear for the refueling mission, he can see the immediate impact the aircrew and maintainers have in the Global War on Terror.

"What is really rewarding about my job is I know I am affecting the mission," he said. "I know that if the KC-135 and the other tankers in the fleet were not in the AOR doing their job the war efforts would be slowed down immensely or come to a complete halt. I know I am prolonging the fighter in his mission so he can provide close air support for our troops on the ground or to perform a show of force to the enemy. We allow them to protect those troops much longer. It's really rewarding to know the planes I helped refuel yesterday had a huge impact in the mission on the ground."

Aircrews from the 340 EARS each fly approximately three to five missions per week and sometimes more.

"We have [aircrews] flying at all times of every day," the captain said.

According to the Beckley, W. Va., native, in the past two months, his crew alone has completed approximately 33 missions or 175 flying hours and has off loaded more than 1.5 million pounds of gas to nearly 150 aircraft.

Since Captain Talley arrived in June, the 340 EARS has flown more than 1,348 sorties encompassing 7,894 flying hours and delivering 61,010,200 pounds of fuel to 5,619 aircraft.

Because of the high operations tempo, both aircrew and maintenance personnel are beginning to feel the crunch in longer and more frequent deployment rotations.

"We are now deploying for anywhere from 120 to 220 days a year," Captain Talley said.

"Some people are out here three to four rotations a year."

KC-135 aircrews normally deploy for six months per year. These deployments are broken up into two month blocks to meet regulations, which limit flying hours per month, he said.

Some aircrew members are at home for as little as two weeks before returning to the AOR for another rotation.

KC-135 maintainers also deploy multiple times in a year and it's not uncommon to see an Airman in a KC-135 career field whose number of deployments is greater than their years in the service.

Since 1997, Tech. Sgt. James Erickson, 340th Aircraft Maintenance Unit KC-135 crew chief deployed from the 319 ARW, has deployed more than 12 times. This is his second deployment to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing this year.

The ever-demanding need for the KC-135 has caused rotation cycles to increase to almost three times what it was no more than 10 years ago.

"Basically, we deploy for four and are home for about four months," the Estherville, Iowa, native said.

The aircrews' and maintainers' duties in the deployed environment are just as rigorous as their deployment tempo.

Aircrews typically arrive at the "Caddy Shack," the 340 EARS operations building, several hours before their sorties to receive mission briefs and intelligence reports. Then it's out to the flight line where the aircrew completes their preflight checklists prior to take off.

Temperatures within the aircraft can soar to nearly 150 degrees in the dead heat of the summer here.

"It is difficult to complete your tasks before taking off when it is 150 degrees inside the cockpit," Captain Talley said.

Once in the air, a mission will typically last between four to 10 hours, he said.

The missions accomplished thus far wouldn't have been possible without those who keep the aging airframe in the air day after day - the maintainers.

"My day revolves around recovering an airplane after it lands, parking it, inspecting and refueling it," said Sergeant Erickson. "We also do minor maintenance to get the plane turned around and flying again. The major maintenance we do take care of is changing the brakes and tires."

"With the inspections, servicing and the usual minor maintenance it usually takes us two to four hours for each aircraft," he said.

With the increasing age of the airframe, more difficulties arise making it harder for the maintainers to send the pilot off with an air-worthy plane.

"The newest KC-135s we have here on the ramp were built in 1963. We have some that were built in 1957," Sergeant Erickson said.

"We're beginning to see a lot of wear and corrosion issues they didn't expect to see, because no one expected this airframe to last this long," he said. "A lot of modifications have been done over the years to keep them air worthy and sometimes those modifications come with headaches."

Even though new and old problems challenge the maintainers to keep the KC-135 flying, they always immediately remember the impact they have on the mission and the end result of an aircraft well maintained is more sweet than bitter.

"When you've been working your butt off all night on an airplane and you're getting it fixed, it's nice to see that airplane taking off and the gears coming up and right away you realize how much work you put into it to make that happen. It's instant gratification."