Father, son fly together

Lt. Col. Robert Nicholson (left) of Air Force Reserve Command's Detachment 2, 4th Air Force, and his oldest son, Capt. David Nicholson of the Michigan Air National Guard's 127th Air Refueling Group, share a moment during Colonel Nicholson's final KC-135 flight July 22, 2008, at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich. The Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard had to approve the training mission in order for the father and son to fly together. (Courtesy photo)

New look for Tinker tankers

Staff Sgt. Sue Hathaway, a structural repair and corrosion control technician with the Air Force Reserve's 507th Air Refueling Wing, peels away transfer paper backing while applying new lettering to a KC-135 ruddervator. As a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure commission, 507th ARW became the first Air Force Reserve wing to host an Air National Guard wing. The Oklahoma Air National Guard's 137th ARW began flying air reserve associate missions at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., earlier this year. Assigning wing identification on the KC-135 ruddervator is part of local processes to provide identification and partnership parity. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lt. Col. Rich Curry)

Desert mission

SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- A KC-10 Extender rests on a parking ramp Jan. 25 waiting for its next refueling mission to support coalition aircraft supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher J. Matthews)

McConnell refuels first F-22A operational mission

OVER THE UNITED STATES (AFPN) -- An F-22A Raptor from Langley Air Force Base, Va., refuels with a KC-135 Stratotanker from McConnell AFB, Kan., during the Raptor's first operational mission Jan. 21. The mission was flown in support of Operation Noble Eagle. The KC-135 was flown by the 18th Air Refueling Squadron. The F-22A was with the 27th Fighter Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Maurice Hessel)