Bringing 31 years of flying dignitaries and rigorous testing for Air Force Materiel Command to a close, the Air Force officially retired the “Speckled Trout” tail #61-2669 on Feb. 10 at Edwards AFB, Calif., where it will be preserved at the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum. The aircraft, a C-135 manufactured in 1962, has been the primary transport for every Air Force Chief of Staff since Gen. David C. Jones, said AFMC Commander Gen. Bruce Carlson. USAF plans to replace a backup aircraft already flying Trout missions with a KC-135R aerial refueling capable aircraft, currently undergoing modification.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
