HONOLULU --
Above the sapphire water of the Pacific Ocean, three KC-10 Extenders aircraft from bases in California and New Jersey fly in formation, preparing to deliver thousands of pounds of fuel to aircraft travelling across the planet’s largest body of water.
From 20,000 feet, the clouds below look like a coral reef above the life-giving waters of the Pacific Ocean. More than three-and-a-half miles up, KC-10s deliver life-giving fuel to C-17s en route from Alaska to Australia as part of the Global Reach mission of Talisman Saber 17.
Setting out from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, three KC-10 crews flew to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam where they joined a KC-10 crew from Travis Air Force Base, California. With little time to rest, the teams traveled to Wake Island in the Pacific.
Wake Island served as the staging area for the delivery of fuel to C-17 aircraft carrying paratroopers from Alaska to Australia in a single continuous, 17-hour flight.
“Team Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst accomplished the mission on our end and gave the receivers the gas they needed in order to get the paratroopers over the drop zone at the appropriate time,” said 1st Lt. Kevin Bennett, a KC-10 co-pilot with the 2nd Air Refueling Squadron. “It’s extremely important to show we're capable of doing what we are tasked out to do and work with our joint partners.”
Successful in-flight refueling provided by the KC-10 fleet allowed the C-17s to make their flight of over 7,000 miles to Australia in a single go.
“This is what Rapid Global Mobility is all about - we can go wherever we're needed, whenever we're needed,” said Tech. Sgt. Travis Simmons, a KC-10 flight engineer with the 2nd ARS. “We took off with as much gas as possible, and we were able to provide successful in-flight refueling.”
The ability to refuel aircraft anywhere in the world is a core capability of Air Mobility Command. That’s something the Airmen of the 305th Air Mobility Wing at Joint Base MDL say they’re proud to bring to the fight.
“We get the mission, and we ‘Can Do’ it, absolutely,” said Bennett. “This exercise shows that the 305th AMW and AMC are able to bring supplies and troops to any corner of the earth in a quick and accurate fashion. Team MDL is always ready, always capable of accomplishing the mission.”