Tanker Ramp Open for Business

A new runway ramp constructed specifically for use by airborne tankers opened for business last week at an undisclosed air base in Southwest Asia. The new ramp, covering 41.5 acres, ends more than two years of planning and construction efforts in order to expand the safety and operational efficiency of tanker service and missions, according to Lt. Col. Allan Day, the 308th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron’s commander. Day said that the old ramp was built for fighters not mobility aircraft. That meant tight squeezes and some 500 tow jobs a month to move the large aircraft into the clear for launch and recovery.