Air Guard to Host Three KC-135 Associate Wings

ARLINGTON, Va. --- Three Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker wings will become active associate units beginning this summer, Air Force officials here announced Dec. 10.>> Active-duty Airmen will be assigned to the 117th Air Refueling Wing in Birmingham, Ala., the 126th Air Refueling Wing at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and the 157th Air Refueling Wing at Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H.>> They will begin reporting in July 2009, and the three active associations are expected to be fully operational by September 2011.>> Under these associate organizations, the Air Guard wing will act as the host organization.>> "New Hampshire's northeast coast location and very high quality of life make it an ideal location for the active-duty Airmen to train in and operate the KC-135," said Maj. Gen. Kenneth Clark, the New Hampshire National Guard adjutant general who is also a rated KC-135 pilot.>> The assigned aircrew, maintenance and support personnel will work side-by-side with Guard members flying and maintaining the Air Guard's fleet of aircraft to accomplish the wing's missions including contingency deployments such as operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle.>> All three units already have participated in these operations. Members of the 157th ARW deployed 768 Airmen to locations throughout the United States and the world in the past year. They are instrumental in the Northeast Tanker Task Force trans-Atlantic air bridge that supplies millions of pounds of fuel annually to in-flight military aircraft.>> In addition to its federal mission, these units have also responded to domestic crises, including Hurricane Katrina.