A new era: Andrews gets first KC-135s; Portland reaches tanker milestone

Citizen Airman, Oct, 2003 by Shayne Sewell

Air Force Reserve Command added its second air refueling unit in less than a year when the 459th Air Refueling Wing at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., officially began operations training Oct. 1.

Prior to the change in mission, the 459th was an airlift wing flying C-141 Starlifters. The Air Force is in the process of retiring its fleet of C-141s, making it necessary for the 459th to switch to a different aircraft.

The change at Andrews came on the heels of a similar action in Portland, Ore., when on April 1 the 939th ARW officially converted from a combat search and rescue mission to an air refueling mission. Less than three months after the conversion, the 939th achieved a significant milestone when the wing reached 1,000 hours flying time in the KC-135R Stratotanker.

At Andrews, the first KC-135R arrived July 2 from March Air Reserve Base, Calif., followed less than a week later by an aircraft from Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.

"The arrival of the KC-135 marks the beginning of a new era for the men and women of the 459th," said Col. Richard Severson, wing commander.

With the arrival of the first two aircraft, members of the maintenance and aircraft maintenance squadrons didn't waste any time getting acquainted with the new weapon system. A field training detachment from McConnell AFB, Kan., traveled to Andrews and began training air reserve technicians July 7, getting them acquainted with the avionics, electronic and engine systems.

"We have a totally different aircraft that requires us to do things a different way," said Chief Master Sgt. Emmett Lennon, 459th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron branch superintendent. "It will be a whole new challenge."

Flight engineers and loadmasters who were assigned to the C-141 will have an opportunity to retrain to become boom operators since a tanker crew doesn't include either position. Pilots will have to attend training to learn the new airframe, and members of the wing's aeromedical evacuation squadron will train to become certified on the KC-135 as well.

"When we become certified, we will be the first unit to fly KC-135 medevac missions on the East Coast," said Master Sgt. Tracy Treece, 459th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron aeromedical evacuation assistant.

Everson said the transition, although stressful at first, will offer an advantage.

"The change in mission will provide more opportunities for extended deployments of our maintainers and operators, which I believe will promote unit cohesiveness and camaraderie," Severson said.

At Portland, the 939th ARW reached 1,000 flying hours during a June 25 mission, an evening sortie to refuel two C-17s over Washington, Idaho and Montana. Members of the wing who flew the mission were Maj. Russell Muncy, instructor pilot and 64th Air Refueling Squadron director of operations; Maj. David Seitz, aircraft commander; Mai. Jay Pyles, co-pilot and chief of safety; and Tech. Sgt. Jon Hayes, boom operator.

"It's a tribute to everyone in the wing to be able to say we have flown 1,000 hours at this point in the conversion," said Lt. Col. Kenneth Lewis, operations group commander. "The amount of work to get to this point was incredible.

"We fly to train, to qualify (crew members) and to do the missions the Air Force needs us to do. To do these things, maintainers had to go from two different weapon systems (the HH-60 helicopter and the HC-130 aircraft) to a new one. Flyers also have gone from two, three or even four different systems. Everyone, including the support functions, has to be involved to get to 1,000 hours. In less than a year from the arrival of the first tanker, we will get to 1,700 hours."

The crew flying the mission exemplifies the diversity of experience that exists within the wing. Muncy has 3,141 total flying hours with 2,970 of those hi the KC-135. Seitz, who is relatively new to the wing, is a former KC-10 flier. Of his 2,756 hours of flying time, only 1,311 have been spent in the KC-135. Pyles, a former HH-60 pilot who had never flown a fixed wing aircraft prior to the KC-135, has 3,992 total flying hours, but only 300 in the Stratotanker. Only 181 of Hayes' 908 flying hours are in the KC-135. He is a former C-130 loadmaster.

Hayes said the June 25 mission was his first without an instructor since he got out of school. He said his level of experience, the weather and the fact that the mission took place at night all combined to make the mission a challenge.

"Even though C-130 low-level flying is exciting and the rescue aspect is very rewarding, it has been an exciting change to become a boom operator," Hayes said. "There is much more responsibility, and the boom operator is a more integral and involved member of the team."

Muncy said the conversion has gone extremely well.

"Most people have embraced the new mission and are bringing a new vision to the tanker role," he said.

"We have exceeded all expectations in converting to the new mission. We've flown training missions, flown in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and have directly supported Operation Iraqi Freedom."