All the KC-135 tankers that temporarily relocated to JB Charleston, S.C., have returned home to MacDill AFB, Fla., after completion of the roughly $8 million runway repairs there late last year, according to a Jan. 4 USAF release. The tankers first relocated in October 2016 and the last tanker returned to MacDill on Dec. 20, 2016, states the release. Having the tankers at Charleston helped members of the 437th Operations Group check off more than 288 currency events, said group commander Col. Louis Hansen. “Air refueling is a force multiplier, allowing US Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command to deliver forces and cargo anywhere in the world non-stop,” he added.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.