Tanker Unit Activates Again

The Air Force has activated again the active duty 912th Air Refueling Squadron, this time to operate KC-135 tankers in an associate arrangement with Air Force Reserve Command’s 452nd Air Mobility Wing at March ARB, Calif. This pairing is one of several new active associations that Air Mobility Command has formed with AFRC. Soon, about 200 active duty airmen, including nearly 30 aircrew and 130 aircraft maintainers, will work with Reservists at March. “Reserve airmen aren’t always necessarily available, but the jets are, so Air Mobility Command incorporated active duty airmen here to fly the missions Guardsmen and Reservists can’t fill,” explained 912th ARS commander Lt. Col. Brice Middleton. The squadron, which stood up Dec. 3, will remain under the administrative control of the active duty 92nd Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild AFB, Calif. Prior to its inactivation in March 2009, the 912th ARS was based at Grand Forks AFB, N.D. (Fairchild report by SrA. Natasha E. Stannard) (See also Press-Enterprise report)