Airmen of the 340th Aircraft Maintenance Unit in Southwest Asia over the past four months have supported some 3,200 sorties. To maintain that pace and “keep everyone out of the heat as much [as] possible, reports SSgt. Jason Barebo, the unit has trained all its personnel in launch and recovery operations. “This is the only base where the entire specialist flight performs launch and recovery, not only in the area of responsibility, but also Air Force wide,” said TSgt. Kevin Kuehn, who is deployed there from Grand Forks AFB, N.D.
More than 20 tankers lined the runway at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., on March 27, for an “elephant walk” and the base’s largest mass launch of aircraft ever. Sixteen KC-46s and five KC-135s participated in the flush, with aircraft and Airmen from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing and the 931st…