An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

16k sorties later, tanker crews still have 'best job in the world'

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Carolyn Viss
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan --  The 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron hit a milestone April 10, 2010, when the unit flew its 16,000th sortie since it was stood up in 2003.

The KC-135 Stratotanker, which provides aerial refueling to U.S. and coalition combat and combat support aircraft, ultimately ensures the safety of troops on the ground in Afghanistan by allowing aircraft to stay over the skies, providing overwatch for the fight.

"We take fuel downrange, refueling with booms or rogues or a multi-point refueling system," said Lt. Col. Buck Smith, 22nd EARS director of operations deployed from Fairchild AFB, Wash.

Tankers have been around since the late 1950s, Colonel Smith said. They're old airplanes which have been refurbished quite a bit, but they're doing a great job.

"We've been operating out of here for many years, providing top cover for troops downrange," he said. "It's really important for us to keep fighters airborne for the guys [on the ground] so they can go back home and live the American dream just like everybody else."

He began his career in the active duty Air Force, then separated out and went into the Washington Air National Guard, and recently he accepted a slot as a reservist on extended active duty orders.

"I think it's extremely important for our country that we be here, that we fight the fight, and that we win the fight," the pilot explained.

Kyrgyzstan is a hugely strategic place for the 22nd EARS to be stationed, according to Colonel Smith.

"It's awesome that the Kyrgyz host us here, because it gives us a place to fly out of where we can be downrange with the gas in a short amount of time. We are glad they are such gracious hosts," he said. "We're writing history right now."

"I think this is the greatest job in the military," said Master Sgt. Greg Patterson, a 22nd EARS boom operator, who lies on his belly in the back of the tanker and actually off-loads the gas to the receiving aircraft. He cross-trained into aerial refueling because he loved hearing the stories other boom operators told while he was stationed at RAF Mildenhall 10 years ago.

He personally has off-loaded more than half a million pounds of fuel, he estimates, in a total of more than 300 combat sorties.

The 22nd EARS used to fly the B-24 Liberator in WW2, so there's a lot of history behind the 22nd EARS legacy.

"It's pretty cool to fly something that thousands of people have flown before," said 1st Lt. Daniel Horwitz, a 22nd EARS tanker pilot, of the legacy jet.

Without aerial refueling, "fighter jet sorties would be pretty short," the lieutenant said. "They'd have to have three, four, or five times as many jets in order to get the mission done."

"It's a lot of jet to fly," agreed co-pilot 1st Lt. Jason Osgood. "A lot of work goes into each sortie -a lot of planning, preparation, and coordination between Manas and people in the AOR.

"I'm very proud to be part of a unit that's accomplished 16,000 sorties, and I hope to be here for many more."