JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. — Members of the 305th Air Mobility Wing recently returned home after supporting a milestone seven-month contingency operation, accomplishing the largest and longest KC-46 deployment in the platform’s nascent history.
The wing initially deployed a Mission Generation Force Element (MGFE), an integrated package of aircrew, operations, equipment and maintenance personnel. When combined underneath this force structure, they can maintain, generate, and fly sorties from anywhere in the world under one commander. Due to unprecedented events in theater, the MGFE surged to the size of an Air Force group, uniting top KC-46 and KC-135 warfighters from across the Total Force.
The 305 AMW led and partnered with KC-46 and KC-135 air refueling teams and personnel from 16 Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard units, forming the largest Air Force MGFE in theater and the only MGFE to employ two major weapons systems.
“The Total Force teamwork was outstanding,” said Senior Master Sgt. Charles Taylor, MGFE senior enlisted leader. “We leveraged the Guard and Reserve’s experienced KC-135 personnel, as well as the KC-46’s advanced mission system avionics to overcome international hostilities and employ both fleets of aircraft at a breakneck pace, ensuring maneuverability for the entire joint force.”
The MGFE achieved the highest sortie generation rate in theater, flying more than 3,600 KC-46 and KC-135 missions and offloading more than 150 million pounds of fuel to coalition aircraft supporting contingency operations for four combatant commands.
“I have never been a part of a more cohesive operations and maintenance team,” said Master Sgt. Kyle Greenley, KC-46 section chief. “The team worked together so effectively; you would see a group of Airmen go out to repair an aircraft and you couldn’t tell which one was Active Duty, National Guard, or Reserve.
It was this very cohesiveness that enabled the MGFE to respond with the unparalleled speed and efficiency, responding to an international crisis within hours. The MGFE mobilized and rapidly deployed to multiple forward operating locations to conduct agile combat employment, provide U.S. personnel and allied partners armed overwatch, enabling the successful execution of many high-profile missions.
“Everyone, down to our most junior Airman, was in a flat-out sprint, going above and beyond to maneuver this massive team between locations, safely land, and immediately get all the aircraft back in the air,” said Lt. Col. Paul Lasorda, 32nd Air Refueling Squadron commander and MGFE commander. “The team did this at speed and scale to deliver airborne fuel and connectivity to the joint force and our coalition partners.”
This level of coordination underscored how the MGFE transformed from a rapidly assembled team into a fully synchronized operational force. Their ability to integrate Airmen from across components and specialties—often on little notice—became the backbone of the wing’s success throughout the deployment.
“The team empowered Airmen at all levels and fielded every high-end training initiative the 305 AMW focused on this past year, from reducing the time it takes to turn an aircraft on the ground in-between sorties to employing the tanker as a command-and-control node to connect the joint force like never before,” stated Colonel Kathleen Hasson, 305 AMW Commander. “This team has truly embodied the warrior spirit—showcasing unwavering perseverance and resilience in the face of every challenge. I could not be prouder of them, they demonstrated what it means to be mission ready tonight.”