Photo By Airman 1st Class Paula Arce | (From left) Capt. Augustus Bates and Capt. Luke Hartings, 350th Air Refueling Squadron...... read more read more
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DEATH VALLEY, Calif. – Over the jagged and unforgiving canyons of the Death Valley mountain range, a KC-135 Stratotanker banks hard right and left, dips up and down. The jet, equipped with a sharp and laser focused crew of three pilots, one boom operator and two crew chiefs, navigates with confidence in this uncommon low-level mission. A rare sight in the area, the KC-135 treads in airspace that only small agile aircraft typically take on.
“This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Capt. Augustus Bates. “It’s the pinnacle of what you can do in the 135.”
Bates and Capt. Luke Hartings, 350th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135 Stratotanker pilots, navigated this flight for the elusive experience in preparing for the six-month-long United States Air Force Weapons School. On board as well, Capt. Rachel Kelly, 350th ARS KC-135 pilot, served as a mentor and overlooker for Bates and Hartings. Kelly, a weapons school graduate, brought her knowledge to the training sortie, shaping the future tactical leaders.
“I don’t think the 135 has done anything like it, at least not in a while,” Bates said. “To fly that low and be that precise? That’s something tankers don’t typically do. But with near-peer adversaries on the rise, it’s going to be essential for us to navigate more stressful environments. Without training like this, I don’t think most tankers could pull it off.”
The crew traveled approximately 200 low-level miles flanked by mountain ranges. The valley's terrain shifts abruptly, offering a dangerous and high stakes environment to test their flying abilities. However, it’s a foundational skill that helps the crew build confidence and precision, especially when deviating from an original plan. This low-level flying is only a taste of what weapons school entails for the future students.
“These guys are learning how to be the tanker mission commander in a near-peer fight so they can maintain a high level of SA (situational awareness) on the fight and keep all the tankers safe but offensive for the fight,” said Kelly. “Then when they come back from WIC (Weapons Instructor Course), they’ll be the experts and train the rest of the squadron on the current tactics that they learned.”
The path to and through weapons school isn’t just flying. It’s also about students becoming the best in their realm and stepping into the roles that influence the overall mission and the younger pilots behind it.
“I think it gives you the biggest impact on people,” Bates said. “Weapons school gives you the opportunity to become the best officer you can possibly be in your entire life. With that in your hip pocket, you can influence others in a way that actually makes a difference.”
However, being the best doesn’t come without an elite support team behind you. The trust pilots have with the jet’s experts–crew chiefs–is nothing short of vital.
Maneuvering at an altitude of 500 feet can put a physical strain on the 70-year-old airframe. The mountainous region creates unexpected wind currents and shifting thermals, causing every bolt and joint of the jet to work a little harder than it would for a normal flight pattern.
Harting, Kelly and Bates required the KC-135 to be in peak condition, and they trusted Staff Sgt. Brendon Bengel and Senior Airman Ethan Ferrera, 722nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron flying crew chiefs, to provide just that.
“People might not realize how close we are with the crew,” Bengel said. “There’s a lot of trust built between us. I’ve flown with Capt. Kellys since she was a lieutenant, and I was a new staff sergeant. Now she’s an evaluator pilot and I’m training others. We’ve grown together in this jet.”
A mutual trust must be had between the two roles. The crew chiefs place their confidence in the pilot’s ability to make the best decision for the safety of everyone. Likewise, the pilots rely on the crew chief to ensure there are no oversights during inspections. Every preflight is treated the
same, because shortcuts can have massive consequences.
The bond of the team is obvious and strong, built through exercises, missions and long nights. Working together, they pushed and proved the limits of lethality, warfighting and readiness in a battlespace that is ever-evolving.
| Date Taken: | 04.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2025 12:31 |
| Story ID: | 496091 |
| Location: | MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 145 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Precision under pressure: Training the next generation of tactical experts, by A1C Paula Arce, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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