Fueling the fight

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Carolyn Viss
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  They say change is good, but when the battle situation changes it means integrated air operations must be able to change as well. That means staying in the air longer and being able to go as far as necessary to accomplish the mission.

U.S and coalition bombers, fighters, and other aircraft take off from airfields in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in Southwest Asia every day. The range of operations those aircraft are able to support and the flexibility with which they can respond to the changing battlefield would be limited by the gas in their tanks if it weren't for the constant vigilance of the KC-135 tankers operating here.

Stratotankers at the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron here provide daily aerial refueling support to U.S. and coalition forces operating over Iraq and Afghanistan, offloading millions of pounds of gas and saving time and lives in the process.

"One time, on an aerial refueling mission, we saw an F-18 pull up for gas with a full rack of bombs on board," said Capt. Nathaniel Jackson, a 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron pilot deployed from Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. "An hour later, it pulled up again - empty. We knew that what we did made it possible for them to go drop bombs without landing first to fill up."

These "classic" aircraft, manufactured between 1957 and 1964, carry a pilot, co-pilot, and boom operator, who controls the "gas pump" on the tail of the aircraft. The navigational and flight instrumentation systems are versatile, Captain Jackson said, making it an ideal aircraft to get from point "A" to point "B" quickly.

"We ensure fighter jets (and other aircraft) have what they need to provide close air support to troops on the ground 24/7," he said. "We make sure no plane has to land before they finish what they have to do."

He and the other members of the crew agreed that it's rewarding to see the fruits of their labors, whether later in an intelligence briefing or right away when helping with med-evac missions.

"We have great job satisfaction, knowing we're helping save lives," said Staff Sgt. Blake Powell, a boom operator also deployed from Grand Forks AFB. This is his sixth deployment since 2005, and he said he's enjoying being here with other fliers from Grand Forks.

"We've gotten to know each other really well because we've been together so long," said 1st Lt. Nicholas Brumgard, a San Antonio, native also deployed from Grand Forks AFB. "It helps us to cope with the stress of multiple deployments to be here with our 'Tanker family.'" His dad's 22 years of service as a KC-135 pilot made him want to fly the plane himself, he said.

"It's especially cool for us to see the missions of coalition forces and sister services when we're deployed," said 1st Lt. James Magill, Jr., yet another Grand Forks AFB Airman. "Almost every time we fly (here), we're flying over guys on the ground."

Those "guys" are often Marines, Soldiers, and Airmen directly in harm's way, he said.
"Countless times, we've heard controllers come over the radio and say, 'We've got troops in contact, need support.' We can be there and give them the fuel they need to stay in the fight."

The entire mission capability of Air Force and coalition aircraft would be extremely limited without (tankers), Captain Jackson said.

"Because we're able to keep them in the air, they're able to hover over areas and react quickly to the ongoing situation on the ground." he said. "Their reach would be much shorter without us."