FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE – The crew of an AKC-135 Stratotanker airplane completed a 24-hour exercise designed to test their basic abilities for a duty period of that length.
The exercise took place over Roswell, New Mexico, between Feb. 13-17, and involved the 92nd Air Refueling Wing.
This refueling wing is assigned to the Air Mobility Command 18th Air Force, and is commanded by Col. Chesley L. Dycus, who assumed command from Colonel Cassius T. Bentley III in 2022.
“We’re changing the paradigm here; the lessons learned during this exercise, and our readiness will only improve the wing’s ability to support Mobility Guardian in 2023 and demonstrate our unrivaled capabilities in complex environments.” Dycus said.
This training exercise was a part of the “Phase Two” preparation for the base to be the lead tanker wing at Air Mobility Command’s Mobility Guardian 2023 exercise.
After the crew completed the 24-hour portion of the exercise, the testing continued as multiple additional crews conducted 16-hour flight shifts which amounted to a 72-hour endurance mission overall.
Three aircraft from the 92nd Air Refueling Wing and crews from the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, and the 22nd Air Refueling Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, participated in the three-day exercise.
Supporting crews and personnel from Key Field (Meridian) Air National Guard Base, Mississippi, and Cannon AFB, New Mexico also participated in the exercises.
“We have to practice like we’ll fight,” Dycu said. “This exercise pushed the limits on the tools we have at our disposal to accomplish complex missions, ensuring our ability to rapidly project global mobility...”
Lucas is a former Cheney Free Press managing editor. He is a nationally published author who contributes regularly to several publications across the country.
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