By Troy Turner
The Alabama National Guard’s 117th Air Refueling Wing recently returned from a planned deployment in support of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
The 117th is based at Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base in Birmingham and flies the KC-135R Stratotanker.
(U.S. Air National Guard photos by Senior Airman Kasie Faddis)
“Our airmen and crews, plus several support personnel, were deployed to Andersen Air Force Guam from mid-October 2024 to mid-January 2025 as part of the Theater Security Package (TSP),” said Paul Mann, a public affairs officer for the 117th.
“TSPs are U.S. Air Force deployments to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region and have operated since 2004. The deployments of aircraft and personnel demonstrate the U.S. commitment to security and stability in the region,” Mann said.
While deployed to the Pacific, the 117th:
- Flew 167 sorties,
- Recorded 1,002 flight hours,
- Delivered 3.6 million pounds of fuel offloaded to 170 receiver aircraft,
- Moved 12.6 standard tons of cargo,
- And included 163 personnel who participated in the deployment.
The last aircraft from the 117th’s Pacific assignment arrived home to Birmingham on Jan. 30.
The 117th recently was selected by a U.S Air Force committee as one of seven locations under final consideration to base the KC-46A Pegasus aircraft.
The wing today uses the KC-135R Stratotanker, which is the oldest operational airframe in the U.S. Air Force. The KC-46A performs the same mission with enhanced capabilities, range and modern features.
A decision on what units get the more modern KC-46A is expected to be made in autumn 2025.
A KC-46A shown in flight refueling an F-35. USAF photo
Troy Turner is the senior consultant and editor for AlaDefense.com. He can be contacted at [email protected]. His bio can be found here.
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