Photo By Tech. Sgt. Tara Abrahams | Staff Sgt. Amy Zemaitis, 314th Air Refueling Squadron boom operator, gives a safety...... read more read more
Thirteen husbands and wives of 940th Air Refueling Wing Reserve Citizen Airmen flew on KC-135 Stratotankers to watch air-to-air refueling Feb. 10.
It was the first spouse flight for the 314th Air Refueling Squadron since the wing’s re-designation to the tanker mission in 2016. The tankers, belonging to the 314 ARS at Beale Air Force Base, California, refueled a C-17 Globemaster III from Travis AFB, California.
The experience gave the group a chance to see exactly what their loved ones do to keep the crews and jets mission ready. Col. Miles Heaslip, 940th Operations Group commander, encouraged the guests to connect with their military spouses to get a deeper look into their jobs.
Senior Master Sgt. Charles Mackay, 940th Maintenance Squadron maintenance flight chief, brought his wife, Desiree, to get a first-hand look at the mission.
“I’m excited,” Desiree said. “I love flying, but have never been on this plane. I’m looking forward to the refueling.”
It was also Tim Pfafman’s first time on a refueling mission. Tim’s wife, Lt. Col. Jenni Pfafman, a 314th ARS pilot, led the three ship, while Tim followed in the second plane. He said he was excited to see the refueling, as well as seeing his wife fly the plane in front of him.
The crews and leadership were just as eager about the opportunity as the families.
“This is something we’ve been looking forward to for a very long time,” Heaslip said. “It takes a lot of work and a lot of people to get these jets in the air.”
He also expressed his gratitude for their role in the military.
“I understand the sacrifices you make for your spouses,” he said. “I can’t stress to you enough how important it is and how appreciative we are of that.”
| Date Taken: | 02.14.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 02.15.2018 18:07 |
| Story ID: | 266246 |
| Location: | BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 113 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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