67th APS conducts joint training on KC-46A Pegasus

By Staff Sgt. Robert Porter, 419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / Published January 19, 2021

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 1 of 4

Tech. Sgt. Chris Davis, a boom operator from the 916th Air Refueling Wing, marshals a Tunner 60K aircraft cargo loader during a training exercise, Jan 10, 2021, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The 916th ARW conducted a joint training with the 67th Aerial Port Squadron to train reservists from both wings on the KC-46A Pegasus, the newest tanker in the Air Force. This was the first time the Airmen have trained on the tanker off station. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Anthony Pham)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 2 of 4

Tech. Sgt. Chris Davis, a boom operator from the 916th Air Refueling Wing, marshals Staff Sgt. Todd Rimmasch, an air transportation specialist in the 67th Aerial Port Squadron, in docking an aircraft cargo loader, Jan. 10, 2021, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The 916th reservists were at Hill AFB to conduct a joint training exercise, which consists of loading, unloading, and refueling with the KC-46A Pegasus, the newest tanker in the Air Force. This is the first time 419th Fighter Wing reservists have trained on the KC-46A and the first time the 916th ARW has conducted this type of joint training off station. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Anthony Pham)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 3 of 4

Senior Master Sgt. Barry Bradley, a boom operator from the 916th Air Refueling Wing, and Tech. Sgt. Michael Sizemore, an air transportation specialist from the 67th Aerial Port Squadron, push a training pallet into a KC-46A Pegasus, Jan. 10, 2021, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The 916th ARW conducted a joint training with the 67th APS to train reservists from both wings on the KC-46A Pegasus, the newest tanker airframe in the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Robert Porter)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 4 of 4

Tech. Sgt. Chris Davis, a boom operator from the 916th Air Refueling Wing, assists 67th Aerial Port Squadron reservists with locking a pallet down in a KC-46A Pegasus, Jan. 10, 2021, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The 916th ARW is based out of Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, and flies the newest tanker in the Air Force. The 916th reservists were at Hill AFB to conduct a joint training exercise, giving both units the first opportunity to work on this new airframe off station. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Robert Porter)

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah – Airmen from two bases worked together on the Air Force’s newest tanker, the KC-46A Pegasus, as they improved off-station training and readiness. Reservists from the 77th Air Refueling Squadron, 916th Air Refueling Wing, at Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., flew to Hill AFB to conduct the training with the 67th Aerial Port Squadron here on Jan. 8.

“This is the first time we’ve done a cargo training mission out of Seymour,” said Senior Master Sgt. Barry Bradley, a boom operator from the 77th ARS. “This airplane is actually a 2017 model. We got this airplane and one other airplane back in June (2020), and we got two more in August.”

The training opportunity allowed the 77th ARS to practice loading and refueling outside of their home base, as well as giving reservists in the 67th APS the opportunity to load an aircraft that they have not previously worked with.

“I think it’s awesome,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Anderson, an air transportation specialist in the 67th APS. “This aerial port for the reservists doesn’t get a lot of traffic. When we get partners like the 916th who can come in and help us train, it’s something special.”

During the load training, Airmen loaded and unloaded seven pallets of various dimensions and weight onto the KC-46A.

“Like anything new, there are things we’re learning, things that we have to figure out,” Bradley said. “When it’s going through testing, everything is always exactly the same. When you’re at a different unit, nothing is the same. Like coming here, it’s so cold, we had to de-ice the airplane before flying yesterday. That’s something we don’t usually do at Seymour.”

Airmen from both units benefited from the opportunity to put into practice what they have trained to do. The unexpected challenges that come with joint training ensure that Airmen are prepared for challenges that may arise during missions.

“Working with the other aerial port, loadmasters, and aircrafts from other bases allows us to stay ready for anything that happens in our deployments,” Anderson said.