Refueling a EA-6 Prowler

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii - An U.S. Navy EA-6 Prowler drifts away from a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 465th Air Refueling Squadron, 507th Air Refueling Wing, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., after being refueled over Hawaiian air space during the Rim of the Pacific Exercise on July 20. RIMPAC, the world's largest maritime exercise is a biennial event which stresses interoperability of all partner nations as a key element of regional stability. There are 14 nations, 32 ships, five submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 20,000 personnel involved here in this exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech Sgt. Cohen A. Young)

EA-6 Prowler prepares to receive fuel

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii - An U.S. Navy EA-6 Prowler begins to move into position to acquire fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 465th Air Refueling Squadron, 507th Air Refueling Wing, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., while over Hawaiian air space during the Rim of the Pacific Exercise on July 20. RIMPAC, the world's largest maritime exercise is a biennial event which stresses interoperability of all partner nations as a key element of regional stability. There are 14 nations, 32 ships, five submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 20,000 personnel involved here in this exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech Sgt. Cohen A. Young)

Okies Keep Refueling

Published July 28, 2010
By Tech Sgt. Cohen A. Young
Defense Media Activity - Hawaii News Bureau

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Oklahoma refuelers keep aircraft flying during the Rim of the Pacific Exercise here at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on July 23.

RIMPAC, a biennial exercise in its 22nd year is hosted by U. S. Pacific Fleet and is the largest maritime exercise in the world. The exercise demonstrates a commitment to working with global partners in guarding sea-lanes of commerce and communication, protecting national interests abroad and ensuring freedom of navigation as a basis for global peace and prosperity.

The 465th Air Refueling Squadron, 507th Air Refueling Wing, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., a reserve unit is responsible for refueling many of the aircraft participating in this worldly exercise. There are 14 nations, 32 ships, five submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 20,000 personnel involved.

Although, the 465th ARS has been involved in RIMPAC for a number of years; this time has been a different experience due to the fact that the U.S. Air Force has a larger role this time around according to Brig. Gen. Thomas Harwood, the Combined Force Air Component Commander for RIMPAC.

"The maritime component wanted to make the exercise more and more valuable," said General Harwood. "They are bringing in more land component and more air components; therefore the Air Force is going to be a big part of that," General Harwood added.

As a result of the larger role that the Air Force is playing, aircrews have been flying a lot and in some cases, squadrons have split into two teams to support the month long exercise.

"We're the second half rotation for the reserves and we've been very busy," said Major Benjamin R. Evans, pilot with the 465th ARS. "We have been flying daily, sometimes five lines a day or in some cases two, but it's been quite busy," Major Evans added.
As of close of business July 26th, the 507th ARW crews have flown 203 hours, and offloaded 1.9 million pounds of fuel to over 200 RIMPAC participating receiver aircraft from the Air Force, Navy and some coalition partners.

According to Boston, Mass., native boom operator, Staff Sergeant Ron Davis, there are two types of refueling that he works with when providing fuel to other aircraft. There is boom air refueling, which the Air Force usually does and then there is drogue refueling. The difference is that drogue refueling use a basket, while the boom doesn't and the operator has control.

"As a boom operator, you are affecting the contact and it's your responsibility to make sure the receptacle is in place, whereas in drogue refueling, everything is based on the pilot of the receiver of the gas, which takes away a lot of the responsibility of the boom," said Sergeant Davis. Among the aircraft refueled so far during RIMPAC 2010 are Air Force F-16 Falcons, F-15 Eagles, Navy F-18 Super Hornets and E-A6 Prowlers.