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McConnell teamwork helps new Airmen see mission up close

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jason Schaap
  • 931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  Birthdays came a little early this year for Airman 1st Class Matt Rourk and Airman Timothy Lollis.

They were among 29 active-duty Airmen who flew with a Reserve KC-135 Stratotanker crew on an aerial refueling mission on Jan. 10. Because Airmen Rourk and Lollis had birthdays in January, they were offered two seats available in the cockpit during takeoff. Both Airmen gladly accepted.
 
"This is my first ride in a government plane," Airman Rourk, a KC-135 mechanic, said. "I'm loving it."
 
The flight also marked a first for the 931st Air Refueling Group, an Air Force Reserve unit, and the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, the 931st's active-duty host unit at McConnell Air Force Base.
 
A 22nd ARW program gives its newest enlisted Airmen the opportunity to fly in a KC-135 and learn about aerial refueling, the primary mission at McConnell. Col. James Vechery, the 22nd commander, instituted the program when he arrived at McConnell in February, 2008.
 
But the high operations tempo for the Air Force's KC-135s created a backlog of new Airmen who hadn't seen a refueling first-hand. So the 22nd requested some total-force support during the 931st's January drill weekend.
 
The request took some logistical doing, Lt. Col. Tony Brusca admitted, but he insisted the flight was an absolute "win-win" for all involved, especially for his young passengers.

Colonel Brusca is a Reserve pilot assigned to the 18th Air Refueling Squadron, the flying unit of the 931st ARG. He was the team commander during the total-force mission.
 
"(I'm surprised) this program didn't exist before," the colonel said, sitting with and proudly looking at the enlisted Airmen as the tanker they were in gained elevation.
 
In a nearby seat, Airman 1st Class Joel Williamson later sat with his digital camera looking at photos and video he took during the Saturday morning flight. Many hours prior, he and the other passengers climbed out of bed early on their day off and reported by 6 a.m. for preflight briefs.

"I wasn't too excited about that," said Airman Williamson with a grin. But, the maintenance crew chief from Carthage, Miss., added, "it was worth it."
 
Airman 1st Class Richard Christensen, a native of Lincoln, Mo., joined the Air Force in June, 2008, and arrived at McConnell AFB in November as a newly-trained maintenance management analyst for the 22nd Mission Operations Squadron.
 
"As an incentive flight, it really serves its purpose," he said. "It gets you excited about your job. You get to see what you are part of."