22 ARW keeps fighters in the air during BE 25-3

An F-22 Raptor assigned to the 1st Fighter Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, flies off the wing of a KC-46A Pegasus operated by aircrew assigned to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, during Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-3 Aug. 6, 2025, off the coast of California. The objective of exercising activities at speed and scale allows the Department of the Air Force to learn from and demonstrate preparedness for complex, large-scale military operations and to improve its ability to operate in a contested, dynamic environment against high-end threats on short notice. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhugh)

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22 ARW keeps fighters in the air during BE 25-3

Published Aug. 19, 2025
By Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhugh
22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

SACRAMENTO, Calif. --

Airmen assigned to the 344th Air Refueling Squadron participated in Exercise Bamboo Eagle in Sacramento, California, Aug. 4-8, 2025. The purpose of BE 25-3 was to enable participating units to increase readiness as efforts are aligned and synchronized across the joint force to strengthen interoperability, increase timely data-sharing, and unify command and control across all domains.

22 ARW keeps fighters in the air during BE 25-3

A KC-46A Pegasus operated by aircrew assigned to the 344th Air Refueling Squadron, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, flies over the Pacific Ocean at sunset July 27, 2025. The McConnell Airmen traveled to Hawaii and then California to participate in Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-3, one of five exercises comprising the Department-Level Exercise series in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhugh)

22 ARW keeps fighters in the air during BE 25-3

A KC-46A Pegasus flies in formation with F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-15 Eagles to refuel the fighters during Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-3 Aug. 6, 2025, off the coast of California. Bamboo Eagle 25-3 provides Airmen and joint force participants a flexible, combat-representative, multidimensional battlespace to conduct testing, tactics development, and advanced training in support of U.S. national interests. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhugh)

22 ARW keeps fighters in the air during BE 25-3

Two F-35 Lightning IIs assigned to the 4th Fighter Squadron, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, fly at sunset alongside a KC-46A Pegasus assigned to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, during Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-3 off the coast of California, Aug. 4, 2025. Bamboo Eagle 25-3 represents the evolving landscape of warfare as each iteration builds on the challenges of today and tomorrow, preparing forces to be ready regardless of the threat. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhugh)

22 ARW keeps fighters in the air during BE 25-3

F-16 Fighting Falcons assigned to the 113th Fighter Wing, District of Columbia Air National Guard, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland; the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; and the 96th Test Wing, Eglin AFB, Florida, fly off the wing of a KC-46A Pegasus operated by aircrew assigned to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, during Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-3, off the coast of California, Aug. 7, 2025. Bamboo Eagle 25-3 is a joint military training exercise involving service members from the U.S. Department of Defense operating, maintaining, commanding and controlling and supporting more than 100 aircraft at over 15 locations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhugh)

22 ARW keeps fighters in the air during BE 25-3

Capt. James Brown, 344th Air Refueling Squadron pilot, and Capt. Kyle Ragay, 22nd Operations Support Squadron deputy chief of current operations, take off in a KC-46A Pegasus from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Aug. 1, 2025. The 344th ARS crew traveled from Hawaii to California to participate in Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-3, one of five exercises comprising the Department-Level Exercise series in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhugh)

22 ARW keeps fighters in the air during BE 25-3

F-22 Raptors assigned to the 1st Fighter Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, fly off the wing of a KC-46A Pegasus operated by aircrew assigned to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, during Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-3 Aug. 6, 2025, off the coast of California. Bamboo Eagle 25-3 provides Airmen and joint force participants a flexible, combat-representative, multidimensional battlespace to conduct testing, tactics development, and advanced training in support of U.S. national interests. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhugh)

22 ARW keeps fighters in the air during BE 25-3

An F-35 Lightning II assigned to the 4th Fighter Squadron, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, flies off the wing of a KC-46A Pegasus assigned to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, during Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-3 off the coast of California, Aug. 4, 2025. Bamboo Eagle 25-3 represents the evolving landscape of warfare as each iteration builds on the challenges of today and tomorrow, preparing forces to be ready regardless of the threat. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhugh)

22 ARW keeps fighters in the air during BE 25-3

Staff Sgt. Bayden Stoltenburg-Wills, 344th Air Refueling Squadron boom operator, monitors the amount of fuel pumped into a KC-46A Pegasus while conducting specialized fuel operations during Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-3 Aug. 6, 2025, at Sacramento Mather Airport, California. Bamboo Eagle is focused on strengthening the operational-level decision-making speed, accuracy, and resilience in a highly realistic and contested battlespace and serves as an operational testbed for emerging command and control concepts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhugh)

22 ARW keeps fighters in the air during BE 25-3

F-16 Fighting Falcons assigned to the 113th Fighter Wing, District of Columbia Air National Guard, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, fly off the wing of a KC-46A Pegasus operated by aircrew assigned to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, during Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-3,off the coast of California, Aug. 7, 2025. Bamboo Eagle 25-3 evolves previous BE iterations and provides an advanced and realistic training environment that prepares U.S. Air Forces as part of the joint force for the evolving demands of modern warfare. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhugh)

22 ARW keeps fighters in the air during BE 25-3

Staff Sgt. Cornelius Frazier and Master Sgt. Bryce Smith, 344th Air Refueling Squadron boom operators, conduct air refueling during Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-3 off the coast of California, Aug. 4, 2025. The 344th ARS crew traveled from Hawaii to California to participate in Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-3, one of five exercises comprising the Department-Level Exercise series in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhugh)

22 ARW keeps fighters in the air during BE 25-3

Multiple KC-46A Pegasus tankers are prepped for takeoff along the flight line during Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-3 at Sacramento Mather Airport, California, Aug. 7, 2025. Bamboo Eagle 25-3 evolves previous BE iterations and provides an advanced and realistic training environment that prepares U.S. Air Forces as part of the joint force for the evolving demands of modern warfare. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhugh)

22 ARW keeps fighters in the air during BE 25-3

Capt. Kyle Ragay, 22nd Operations Support Squadron deputy chief of current operations, taxis a KC-46A Pegasus at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Aug. 1, 2025. Ragay and an aircrew assigned to the 344th Air Refueling Squadron traveled from Hawaii to California to participate in Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-3, one of five exercises comprising the Department-Level Exercise series in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhugh)

22 ARW keeps fighters in the air during BE 25-3

Staff Sgt. Bayden Stoltenburg-Wills, 344th Air Refueling Squadron boom operator, drags a fuel hose toward a KC-46A Pegasus while conducting specialized fuel operations during Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-3 Aug. 6, 2025, at Sacramento Mather Airport, California. Bamboo Eagle is focused on strengthening the operational-level decision-making speed, accuracy, and resilience in a highly realistic and contested battlespace and serves as an operational testbed for emerging command and control concepts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhugh)

22 ARW keeps fighters in the air during BE 25-3

Capt. James Brown, 344th Air Refueling Squadron pilot, taxis a KC-46A Pegasus at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Aug. 1, 2025. The 344th ARS crew traveled from Hawaii to California to participate in Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-3, one of five exercises comprising the Department-Level Exercise series in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhugh)

22 ARW keeps fighters in the air during BE 25-3

Two F-35 Lightning IIs assigned to the 4th Fighter Squadron, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, fly off the wing of a KC-46A Pegasus assigned to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, during Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-3 off the coast of California, Aug. 4, 2025. Bamboo Eagle 25-3 represents the evolving landscape of warfare as each iteration builds on the challenges of today and tomorrow, preparing forces to be ready regardless of the threat. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhugh)