Photo By Senior Airman Paige Weldon | Former members of the 350th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron pose with their...... read more read more
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MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. – Fueling the defense against the largest combined drone and missile attack in history earned the 350th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron the Meritorious Unit Award.
Members of the 350th EARS were recognized for their accomplishments during the April 13-19, 2024, Iranian attack on Israel during a ceremony at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, April 17, 2025.
The 350th EARS deployed from April 1, 2024, to October 1, 2024. They completed 2,275 combat flights, totaling approximately 15,000 flying hours and offloading 87.2 million pounds of fuel, enabling the unit to supply fuel for 66% of the air refueling missions in the region.
The 350th EARS, composed mostly of McConnell’s 350th Air Refueling Squadron and 722nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, consisted of nearly 300 personnel and 12 KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, which was the largest deployed tanker fleet in the United States Central Command Area of Responsibility.
“The preponderance of those deployed was not aircrew, it was our maintenance and support teams,” said Lt. Col. Jason Martin, 350th ARS commander. “These teams played a crucial role during the deployment.”
The unit’s maintenance personnel were equally as exceptional, consistently achieving the highest performance and mission capable rates as well as a 96% mission effectiveness rate.
“This was our first go at having operations and maintenance back together under the Agile Combat Employment structure and there was no guarantee it was going to be successful,” said Col. Brent Toth, 22nd Operations Group commander. “The team was able to come together for the mission not only adequately, but superiorly.”
In addition to the Meritorious Unit Award, seven members of the 350th EARS were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for their efforts refueling aircraft responsible for the destruction of six ballistic missiles and 80 one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicles during the Iranian attack on Israel.
During the historic attack, the 350th EARS generated all 12 KC-135s and skillfully refueled numerous aircraft despite airborne and ground-based threats. To further ensure the success of the mission, the 350th EARS offloaded more than their minimum recommended fuel level to extend time in the air for fellow aircraft on multiple occasions.
The bravery and dedication of the Airmen of the 350th EARS reflects the importance of aerial refueling in delivering Global Reach and Global Strike capabilities.
| Date Taken: | 04.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2025 11:22 |
| Story ID: | 495608 |
| Location: | MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 13 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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