Wisconsin Airmen fueling the fight over Southwest Asia

The Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 128th Air Refueling Wing is hard at work fueling — or, in this case, refueling — the nation’s war effort in the skies over the Middle East and Southwest Asia.

Airmen and KC-135 refueling tankers from the Milwaukee-based wing have spent the past four months fulfilling their federal mission as the nation’s combat reserve, serving as the backbone of the air campaign supporting Operations Inherent Resolve and Freedom’s Sentinel in Southwest Asia. This deployment is part of the Wisconsin National Guard’s federal role as a primary combat reserve asset.

The KC-135 has provided this core aerial refueling capability for the U.S. Air Force over the past five decades, and the 128th Air Refueling Wing currently has five KC-135s supporting the operations. In addition to this critical aircraft, more than 140 Airmen from the 128th will deploy over the course of the wing’s rotations into the region. The first rotation left Milwaukee in late September 2015, and have since returned. The deployment length varies per individual based on responsibilities, but rotations are expected to continue at least through June.

Continue reading: http://dma.wi.gov/DMA/news/2016news/16005