KC-135 Stratotanker supports 480th EFS in Greece

A KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 63rd Air Refueling Squadron, 927th Operations Group at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., refuels an F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft assigned to the 480th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, during a flying training deployment at Souda Bay, Greece, Feb. 2, 2016. The 63rd ARS is operating out of Souda Bay Naval Air Station for the duration of the FTD. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Ruano/Released)

KC-135 Stratotanker supports 480th EFS in Greece

An F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft assigned to the 480th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, lines up for refueling by a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 63rd Air Refueling Squadron, 927th Operations Group at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., during a flying training deployment at Souda Bay, Greece, Feb. 2, 2016. The 63rd ARS is operating out of Souda Bay Naval Air Station for the duration of the FTD. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Ruano/Released)

KC-135 Stratotanker supports 480th EFS in Greece

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Young Kim, left, and Capt. Shannon Callan, both KC-135 Stratotanker pilots assigned to the 63rd Air Refueling Squadron, 927th Operations Group at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., begin their preflight checklist during a flying training deployment at Souda Bay, Greece, Feb. 2, 2016. The KC-135 is here in support of the 480th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron’s FTD. The aircraft conducted the training as part of bilateral deployment between Greek and U.S. air forces to develop interoperability and cohesion between the partnering nations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Ruano/Released)

KC-135 Stratotanker supports 480th EFS in Greece

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Brittany Bahner, a KC-135 Stratotanker boom operator assigned to the 63rd Air Refueling Squadron, 927th Operations Group at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., focuses on attaching the boom to an F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft assigned to the 480th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron during a flying training deployment at Souda Bay, Greece, Feb. 2, 2016. The plane can deliver 1K gallons of fuel per minute, carry up to 200K pounds of fuel, 83K pounds of cargo and provide air refueling to all branches of service NATO and allied partners. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Ruano/Released)

KC-135 Stratotanker supports 480th EFS in Greece

Published Feb. 9, 2016
By Staff Sgt. Christopher Ruano
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

SOUDA BAY, Greece -- The first time the U.S. Air Force attempted to refuel an aircraft in flight, aircrews successfully stayed aloft for 151 hours. It was designated as the U.S. Army Air Corps and that was over 85 years ago, and the U.S. Air Force today, has made quite a few innovations since then.

A KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 63rd Air Refueling Squadron, 927th Operations Group at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, is providing air refueling support to the F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft assigned to the 480th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron over the skies in Souda Bay, Greece, during a flying training deployment Jan. 22- Feb. 15, 2016.

"The tanker plays a huge role in what we do to meet a sortie tasking that we could have," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Timothy Murphy, 480th EFS commander. "We can simulate the same length of sorties that we could have if we deployed in combat."

The KC-135 crew kept the mission going and allowed pilots the opportunity to practice air-to-air refueling maneuvers.

"This is a training mission that we are doing here supporting their FTD," said U.S. Air Force Capt. Shannon Callon, a KC-135 Stratotanker pilot assigned to the 63rd ARS. "We provide a stable platform to provide fuel to all of the American receivers."

The Stratotanker can deliver 1-thousand gallons of fuel per minute, carry up to 200K pounds of fuel, 83-thousand pounds of cargo and provide air refueling services to all branches of service,NATO and allied partners.

"As the boom operator, I'm the in-flight refueler in the back of the jet being the one who's actually controlling the boom and passing the fuel to the receivers," said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Brittany Bahnet, a KC-135 Stratotanker boom operator assigned to the 63rd ARS. "Our job also includes cargo, passengers and backing up pilots when we're in the cockpit."

"I love it,"Bahnet continued."It's very exciting,it's one of those jobs that not a lot of people could ever say they do or experience, definitely better than being behind a desk."

The KC-135 flew with the U.S. and Hellenic air force each day and provided air refueling over the Greek ranges on the northwest bay of Crete, White Mountain range and over the Mediterranean Sea,along with the Hellenic air force.

"They have been there to support us the whole time, it's great," Murphy said. "Their tanker crews have been awesome from the boomers to the pilots.Overall,this is really good training for everyone."

The flying training deployments are made possible through the efforts of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, the command which governs all U.S. air assets in Europe with the duty to train, equip and deploy combat-ready Airmen. Their posture is to continuously hone skills during peacetime, address any security threats, and ensure regional peace and stability.