• Bandits Lead Tanker Takeoff

    As the sun begins to set, Airmen from the 349th Air Refueling Squadron board a KC-135 Stratotanker; their smiles hidden and laughter muffled by the brightly patterned face masks they wear. Yet even with their faces covered, the masks cannot hide the high spirits of the Airmen ready to deploy.

  • Aerospace Ground Equipment: Out with the old, in with the new

    MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. – The Aerospace Ground Equipment flight has turned in 70 various types of KC-135 Stratotanker AGE equipment to make room for 247 KC-46 Pegasus AGE equipment within the next five years, which will bring their inventory to a total of approximately 450.The unit took the

  • Boom operator completes 500 combat missions

    MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- A McConnell Airman completed his 500th combat mission as a boom operator during his current deployment, with the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Tech. Sgt. Dwight Miller completed the milestone on his 15th deployment by refueling a couple

  • Foggy aircraft launch

    Tech. Sgt. Daniel Bevilacqua, 931st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, prepares to perform aircraft launch procedures Feb 28, 2018, at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. Crew chiefs carefully inspect every aircraft before each mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Erin McClellan)

  • Refueling keeps Red Flag flying

    NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. –The Red Flag Tanker Task Force, with air mobility assets from three bases, descended on the Las Vegas skies three weeks ago in support the international training exercise, Red Flag-Nellis 18-1.The RFTTF consists of personnel, aircraft and equipment from McConnell Air

  • McConnell maintainers get a taste of deployed life during Red Flag 18-1

    NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. – A team of McConnell maintainers touched down at Nellis AFB nearly two weeks ago in support of Red Flag 18-1, the year’s first iteration of the Air Force’s premiere international combat exercise.The Red Flag Tanker Task Force Maintenance Team consists of 45 members from

  • KC-135 Stratotanker practices landings

    A KC-135 Stratotanker descends before landing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, Jan. 18, 2018. Air Mobility Command’s tanker fleet, which is primarily made up of KC-135s, offloaded 1.177 billion pounds of fuel to U.S. and allied aircraft in 2017. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Erin

  • McConnell maintainers support MacDill mission

    MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.— McConnell maintainers have been providing support to MacDill Air Force Base aircraft since Sept. 7 after they were evacuated from Florida to avoid potential damage from Hurricane Irma. When MacDill’s KC-135 Stratotankers landed at McConnell, only a handful of

  • McConnell Airmen support Mobility Guardian, learn new skillsets

    MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.— Nearly 70 McConnell Airmen traveled to Joint Base Lewis-McChord in support of Exercise Mobility Guardian, Air Mobility Command’s premiere exercise, July 31-Aug. 12.The group was mainly comprised of aircrew members and maintenance personnel, but included logistics and

  • Boom operators master cargo loading

    Future KC-46A Pegasus boom operators here experienced firsthand a different type of cargo loading when a C-5M Super Galaxy landed on McConnell’s runway July 26, to transport cargo for Mobility Guardian 2017, Air Mobility Command’s largest mobility exercise of the year.McConnell will receive the