Photo By Tech. Sgt. April Jackson | Col. Nelson Perron, the commander of the 157th Air Refueling Wing, and Chief Master...... read more read more
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PEASE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.H. – Airmen, families and state officials gathered inside Hangar 254, here, Sept. 8, for a ceremony honoring more than 180 Airmen who are set to deploy to support U.S. Central Command this fall.
It will be the U.S. Air Force’s first operational deployment of the KC-46A Pegasus refueler to a combatant command and will be led by the New Hampshire National Guard’s 157th Air Refueling Wing, with support from the active duty’s 64th Air Refueling Squadron.
While overseas, the team of aircrew, maintainers, and other support elements, will leverage the Air Force’s next-generation aerial refueler to support CENTCOM’s mission to deter Iran, counter violent extremist organizations, and compete strategically with global powers.
In attendance to recognize and address the deploying Airmen were New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, U.S. Senators Jeane Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, Congressman Chris Pappas, Chris Hyde, who represented Congresswoman Ann Kuster, and Maj. Gen. David Mikolaities, the adjutant general of the New Hampshire National Guard.
Mikolaities was the first speaker and recounted a recent trip to Washington, D.C. to discuss the substantial threats the nation faces. He said there is agreement amongst military leaders that there is a need to bring the future faster.
“There’s no wing in the nation that has brought the future faster than the 157th Air Refueling Wing,” he said to the more than 600 attendees, before recounting the many recent firsts set by the wing.
Some of the accomplishments he noted were the wing’s concurrent fielding of the KC-46 alongside the active-duty Air Force; being the first to reach initial operational capability and bring the airframe online; the first to conduct a 36-hour super-sortie to Guam and back; and now, the first to serve a fully operational deployment in support of a combatant command.
Aerial refueling--enabling global reach, mobility and power, anytime, anywhere--is the core mission at the 157th ARW. Over the past decade, the wing transitioned from legacy KC-135 jets to the Air Force’s next-generation tanker, KC-46. Currently, 87 KC-46As have been delivered to wings across the force, 12 of which are at Pease.
“This would not be possible without the exceptional airmen we have here today,” he said.
In his remarks, Sununu praised the deployers for choosing to take on the responsibility and sacrifice of military service.
“On behalf of the citizens of New Hampshire, thank you,” said Sununu. “Embrace the adventure and come home safe. We’ll be here waiting for you.”
Shaheen, who is a member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, addressed the concerns of the great power competition the U.S. faces with near-peer adversaries. She said the aerial refueling capability the 157th ARW brings to the fight is recognized as a discriminator by friend and foe alike.
“It is significant. You are a force multiplier,” she said.
Following remarks from the elected officials, Col. Nelson Perron, the 157th Air Refueling Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Reiter, the wing command chief, took the stage together and played off each other’s comments as they celebrated the years of preparation that brought the wing to the forefront of the KC-46 community.
They also talked about the significance of the deploying under the new Air Force Force Generation Model, which allows units to provide a consistent and sustainable mobility force while maintaining the flexibility needed to overwhelm our adversaries anytime, anywhere. Rather than crowdsourcing Airmen and iron from across the Service, AFFORGEN creates multiple Force Elements that train, deploy, and recover as cohesive warfighting units.
“This is why you wear this uniform,” said Perron. “You will provide global reach and mobility to what has been called the most volatile security situation of the past half century. Fly high, stay safe, and always remember you are the finest of our nation’s Airmen.”
The ceremony followed multiple days of preparation for the deploying Airmen, including a pre-deployment mobility line, where they accomplished required personnel actions, mission briefings, and a Yellow Ribbon event with information about resources for deployers and their families.
Senior Airman Abby Stroup, a 157th Air Refueling Wing KC-46 boom operator, said the deployment will be her first since joining the Air National Guard three years ago. But the Maine native is no stranger to deployments--her sister is a 157th ARW Defender, her father is currently serving at the National Guard Bureau in Washington, D.C., and her mother recently retired after a long career with the Maine Air National Guard. All have deployed at various times over her life.
“It’s the first time I’ll be away for the major holidays,” said Stroup. “My parents have but now I’ll see the opposite side and learn how to stay in touch while I’m over there.”
Despite knowing she’ll miss the upcoming season with friends and family, she is looking forward to practicing her craft in an operational role and keeping the crews flying.
“I’m ready to go and I’m super excited,” she said.
Capt. Andrew Duggan, a pilot from the active duty 64th Air Refueling Squadron, said the deployment will be his first, also. Originally from Tennessee, Pease is Duggan’s first duty assignment after his studies at the Air Force Academy and pilot training, and he is looking forward to deploying with the unit.
He said he wanted to be a pilot since he was a young kid and is now excited to put all his training into practice, get lots of flying time, and refueling different aircraft.
157th ARW KC-46 pilot Lt. Col. James Lux will serve as the deployed commander. He said that the deployment is a testament to the hard work the team at Pease has put in over the past five years. He likened the arrival of the KC-46 to a blank slate and said the base has put a lot of energy into honing their knowledge of the jet and its capabilities to ensure they’re always ready, reliable and relevant for any mission.
“Everything we’ve done was to prepare for this,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 09.08.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.09.2024 17:05 |
| Story ID: | 480440 |
| Location: | NEWINGTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, US |
| Web Views: | 269 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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