News

  • Chip off the old block: A lifelong commitment to mentorship

    The roaring jets and proud Airmen of McConnell are familiar to many families in the Wichita area, but for the Jimenez family, this base holds a unique significance. The Jimenez father and son are both stationed here, and are experiencing a new chapter in their military journeys side-by-side: The son

  • Trilateral E-7A Agreement Marks New Milestone with KC-46 Certification

    In a historic first, the U.S. Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and Royal Air Force (RAF) collaborated to rapidly improve global combat capability while gathering critical test data for future acquisition of the E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.

  • Team McConnell tests their lethality during Exercise Lethal Stack

    Team McConnell Airmen participate in Exercise Lethal Stack May 5-9, 2025, at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. During the exercise, Airmen from the 22nd and 931st Air Refueling Wing trained alongside each other to survive and operate in a contested, degraded and operationally limited environment

  • O-T-(YES): The journey from enlisted to officer

    Being selected for officer training school is regarded as a prestigious honor for some of those who wish to commission. The 9-week course takes enlisted members and civilians, who hold at minimum a bachelor’s degree, and teaches them the foundations of military leadership, and affords them the

  • McConnell says goodbye to Cherokee Rose

    McConnell is the home of 18 KC-135 Stratotankers. Each one has its own story to tell, but one in particular has made its name in history. A record breaker, war hero, and valued member of Team McConnell – Cherokee Rose left McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, on Friday, April 25, 2025.

  • Precision under pressure: Training the next generation of tactical experts

    Over the jagged and unforgiving canyons of the Death Valley mountain range, a KC-135 Stratotanker banks hard right and left, dips up and down. The jet, equipped with a sharp and laser focused crew of three pilots, one boom operator and two crew chiefs, navigates with confidence in this uncommon

  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Family Festival of Fun

    Team McConnell members attend the Family Festival of Fun at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, April 12, 2025. The festival is an annual event hosted by the 22nd FSS in honor of Month of the Military Child. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Paula Arce)