KC-135R Tankers Return to Refueling Roots

First aircraft on the runway awaiting clearence for takeoff, five KC-135 Stratotankers taking off at 30 second intervals to refuel C-17's at Key Field ANGB, Meridian, MS, Saturday September 27, 2008 UTA. U.S Air Frce Photo by TSGT Richad L. Smith (Released by 2d Lt Steven C. Stubbs 186 ARW / PAO)

by Capt Steven Stubbs, 186th Air Refueling Wing
Key Field ANGB, Miss. -- The KC-135 Stratotankers return to the 186th Air Refueling Wing commences June 10, 2013 with one aircraft arriving at Key Field where in-flight refueling was born.

"There is a real buzz on the base right now and that will spill over into the general public once they start seeing the tankers arriving," said Colonel Franklin Chalk, 186 ARW Commander. "I'm excited for the wing and the airmen stationed here."

Chalk stated that a total of eight tankers will be stationed at Key Field by the end of September and the conversion training for pilots and maintenance crews has already begun.

"We will be transitioning pilots back from the C-27 Spartan planes and the MC-12s and getting the maintenance crews up to speed on the tankers," Chalk said. "Since we lost the tankers the maintenance crews have been pretty stagnant because private firms did the maintenance on the C-27s."

When Al and Fred Key took off in their Curtis-Robbin monoplane nicknamed the "Ole Miss" on June 4, 1935, they could not have known the impact their 27-day flight would have on not only their city and state, but the entire world. The equipment and methods used by these pioneers of air refueling allowed them to remain airborne until July 1, 1935. The members of the 186th Air Refueling Wing are proud to say that Key Field Air National Guard Base is named after these two Meridian brothers whose 653 hour and 34 minute world record remains unbroken today in conventional flight.

186ARW/153ARS based at Meridian RAP (Key Field), MS [KMEI] have recently been heard here on the radio ranch flying the following KC-135R airframes using the Jake ## call sign: 57-1462  57-1486  59-1453  60-0341  63-7992.

Air Force Selects Preferred Alternative Base for C-27J Training Aircraft

The Air Force announced today that it has chosen Key Field Air National Guard Base, Miss., as the preferred alternative base for the C-27J training aircraft.

The secretary of the Air Force and the chief of staff of the Air Force carefully considered the site survey results, mission-specific objective criteria, and other military judgment factors in making this preferred alternative decision.

“This base is the right location for these two C-27J training aircraft,” said Kathleen Ferguson, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations. “This will provide the Air Force with the appropriate synergy to accomplish its mission.”

This announcement is not a final basing decision. Selection is subject to completion of the environmental impact analysis process. Pending completion of the analysis, the Air Force intends to beddown two training C-27Js, with aircraft arriving in the second half of fiscal 2014.