Air Force Activates KC-46 Training Unit

The Air Force on Tuesday activated its KC-46A Formal Training Unit—the 56th Air Refueling Squadron—at Altus AFB, Okla. “It’s fitting that the 56th’s Air Refueling Squadron’s new motto, ‘Novi Aut Peri,’ is ‘innovate or perish,’ a motto that perfectly describes the exciting journey ahead—a journey powered by innovation and fueled by the 56th,” Lt. Col. Daniel Ruttenber, the 56th ARS commander, said during the ceremony. The KC-46, which was approved for initial production earlier this month, will mark a “paradigm shift” in aerial refueling, Ruttenber said. A ground-breaking ceremony for a KC-46A sustainment facility at Tinker AFB, Okla., was held in July.