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'It's About Saving Lives:' Deployed KC-10 Airmen Remain Focused on the Deployed Mission

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Scott Sturkol
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Every day, Airmen flying and supporting the KC-10 Extender mission with the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron and the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at a non-disclosed base here are saving lives.

Airmen supporting the KC-10 deployed air refueling in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility flew more than 1,000 sorties off-loading more than 108 million pounds of fuel to more than 6,600 aircraft in support of combat operations in the first three months of 2010, said Ralph Jackson, 380th AEW historian.

"In that process, they supported more than 500 'troops in contact,' meaning they refueled aircraft that were providing air-to-ground support for troops in contact with enemy forces on the front lines," said Jackson, who deployed to the 380th AEW from the 49th Fighter Wing at Hollomon Air Force Base, N.M.

Whether it's operations or maintenance, the Airmen assigned to the KC-10 mission say they know they are an important link in the chain of success that takes place with the refueling mission in the USCENTCOM area of operations.

"I have a pretty rewarding job," said Tech. Sgt. Tyler Stone, an in-flight refueling technician with the 908th EARS who has flown more than 135 combat air refueling missions. "I know that every time we go up and fly over areas like Afghanistan, the impact we have in mission success is critical. We know we have to be there to help those troops on the ground in any way we can."

Stone, who is deployed from the 2nd Air Refueling Squadron of the 305th Air Mobility Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., spent six years of his Air Force career as an aircraft maintainer and the last five years as a boom operator. He said he fully understands that it takes all aspects of the mission to have success. "It takes everyone leaning forward to meet the needs of our warfighters," he said.

Airman 1st Class Brian Welch, a KC-10 Extender crew chief with the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Extender aircraft maintenance unit, said he and other KC-10 maintenance Airmen have to make sure the more than 180-foot-long tanker and airlifter is ready to go for every mission. As a crew chief, he makes sure the whole aircraft he's assigned to is cared for every day. He's said he's required to know "everything there is to know about the jet."

"It's up to us, the maintainers, to get these jets off the ground and on to their missions in working order every time," said Welch, who is deployed from the 660th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 60th Air Mobility Wing, at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. "We know the plane would not be able to fly without us."

The importance of "leaning forward" and keeping the mission focus on the front of their minds is also evident to Senior Airman Alex Ragland, a communications and navigations journeyman with the 380th EAMXS who works as a KC-10 maintenance debriefer interacting with aircrews after every mission.

"In my deployed duties, I debrief aircraft maintainers who get aircraft off the ground," said Ragland, who is deployed from the 305th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, also of the 305th AMW, at JB MDL. "I work to ensure the maintenance forms are in compliance and things are all ready to go."

"Even though the debrief work is not my original career field, I am deployed specifically for debrief, and it's important because we interact with the aircrews to discover discrepancies to report to maintenance so problems can be fixed and sorties can be produced," Ragland said.

First Lt. Jason Brown, a KC-10 pilot with the 908th EARS who is also deployed from the 2nd ARS at JB MDL, said when it comes right down to doing their job on a combat mission "you just have to look at the big picture."

"Sometimes the day-to-day stuff we deal with shadows the great work we do," said Brown. "But taking a step back and looking at the big picture helps to show that it's all worth it. Being here, being a pilot, being in the Air Force."

In 2009, deployed KC-10's offloaded more than 422 million gallons of fuel to more than 31,400 aircraft supporting 2,756 troops in contact events, Jackson said.

"They achieved this through more than 4,700 sorties," he said. "It looks like that effort will continue through 2010."

The 380th AEW is home to the KC-10 Extender, U-2 Dragon Lady, E-3 Sentry and RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft. The wing is comprised of four groups and 12 squadrons. It's deployed mission includes air refueling, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia. The 380th AEW supports Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.