KC-135 tankers of the 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron at Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan, set a single-day, fuel-offload record for the base on May 24 by passing 804,800 pounds of fuel to 32 receivers during 12 missions. The figure bested the previous offload mark of 722,000 pounds that was set Aug. 13, 2007. “This impressive offload accounted for 55 percent of all the air refueling support in Afghanistan that day,” said Lt. Col. Wayne Cooper, the unit’s commander. (Manas report by Lt. Col. Adriane Craig)
U.S. munitions have been expended at a high rate during Operation Epic Fury against Iran, prompting concerns that the Pentagon is eating into weapons stockpiles it needs to deter threats around the world. Yet the newly released $1.5 trillion defense budget request was developed before the war against Iran and…