For 59 airmen formerly of Air Force Reserve Command’s 927th Air Refueling Wing at Selfridge ANGB outside of Detroit, working under AFRC’s 459th ARW at Andrews AFB, Md., is their final assignment before retiring in January. Under BRAC 2005, the 927th turned over its eight KC-135 tankers to the Michigan Air National Guard’s 127th Wing at Selfridge and moved to MacDill AFB, Fla., to support the active duty 6th Air Mobility Wing under a classic association. The 6th AMW operates KC-135s, but for many of the 927th’s long-time members nearing retirement, commuting to Florida each month was impractical. And since the 459th needed extra manpower, the details were worked out to allow these 59 Reservists to serve out their remaining time at Andrews. “I consider this a win-win for both the 459th and the former members of the 927th,” said Col. Tim Cahoon, 459th ARW commander, in his welcome remarks to the new unit members. He added, “We can always use highly experienced, skilled, and dedicated help here at Andrews.” (Andrews report by Maj. Bruce Messer)
The 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first standalone Reserve unit in the Air Force to get its own F-35s, welcoming the first fighter Nov. 5.