The 916th includes both the 911th (active duty) and 77th (reserve) Air Refueling Squadrons (ARS). The 916th has participated in multiple engagements and assignments including Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Odyssey Dawn and homeland defense missions.
Aviation Photojournal had the honor of being invited aboard the Stratotankers of the 916th, flying with both the 77th and 911th ARS. We flew missions in the KC-135R in support of Razor Talon, a large-scale monthly exercise flown over the mid-Atlantic coastline. At almost 4 miles above the Atlantic Ocean, we watched in awe as a steady progression of F-16 Vipers, F-22 Raptors, A-10 Warthogs and even a B-1 Lancer eased up to the tanker to take on gas. The refueling boom operator, known to the other crew simply as "Boom," expertly manuevered the boom to the waiting aircraft and started pumping essential fuel so they could continue their mission. The KC-135Rs fly racetrack patterns in the sky so the fighters and bombers can find them easily enough when they need fuel.
In an astounding aerial ballet, the jets match the speed and altitude of the Stratotanker. Each aircraft took its turn on the boom while the others took station off the tanker's wing. In the refueling mission, the boom operator is in command of the entire process.
The refueling dance is repeated until all the aircraft in the flight are gassed up and ready to go. No sooner has the airspace around the tanker cleared than another flight of aircraft call in requesting fuel, and the entire process is repeated.
Watching the refueling mission unfold mere feet before your eyes is certainly a sight to behold. The missions we flew on were completed in near perfect weather and clear skies. Nevertheless, aircraft need to be refueled any time of day and in any weather,
15
and the men
and women
of the 916th ARW
stand ready to
take to the skies to
complete their
mission.