Photo By Scott Sturkol | An F-35 Lightning II with the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 115th Fighter Wing at...... read more read more
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A KC-135R Stratotanker with the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 128th Air Refueling Wing at Milwaukee and an F-35 Lightning II with the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 115th Fighter Wing at Madison flew together July 27 over Sparta-Fort McCoy Airport at Fort McCoy as part of a joint flyover the airport.
The flyover was part of a practice training run the tanker aircrew and fighter pilot were conducting to do at a nearby airshow in Wisconsin, according to Wisconsin National Guard officials.
It was the Air National Guard piece to a larger show that also included six UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with the 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment of the Wisconsin Army National Guard, officials said. There were also dozens of Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers who participated in the show practice at the airport.
The F-35 made several solo passes as well, going over the airport as part of a choreographed and timed sequence for how they were planning their airshow event for Oshkosh, Wis.
Fort McCoy Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilzation and Security (DPTMS) airfield support personnel were on hand to provide any support for the event practice. Additionally, air traffic control tower personnel at the airport assisted with airspace control, said DPTMS Airport Manager James Hubbard.
According to its Air Force fact sheet, the KC-135 provides the core aerial refueling capability for the U.S. Air Force and has excelled in this role for more than 60 years, and this unique asset enhances the Air Force's capability to accomplish its primary mission of global reach. It also provides aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allied nation aircraft. The KC-135 is also capable of transporting litter and ambulatory patients using patient support pallets during aeromedical evacuations.
The F-35, according to its fact sheet, is the U.S. Air Force’s latest fifth-generation fighter, and it will replace the U.S. Air Force’s aging fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons and A-10 Thunderbolt IIs. The F-35A is an agile, versatile, high-performance, 9g-capable multirole fighter that combines stealth, sensor fusion, and unprecedented situational awareness.
The Wisconsin National Guard regularly completes training at Fort McCoy. Additionally, the state also has tenant units that operate at the installation.
Fort McCoy was established in 1909 and its motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.” Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.
The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”
Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.
| Date Taken: | 07.31.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.31.2023 01:45 |
| Story ID: | 450295 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 996 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Wisconsin Air National Guard aircraft, crews conduct training practice in Fort McCoy airspace, by Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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