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BANGOR AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Me. (July 16th, 2025) – Recently, the 101st Air Refueling Wing hosted a contingent of active-duty Marines for Atlantic Alliance 25, a United States Marine Corp exercise. U.S. Marines from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464 and Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 conducted part of this exercise at the 101st, working closely with members of the unit.
Atlantic Alliance 2025 or AA25 is a large-scale, East Coast naval exercise focused on improving joint readiness and interoperability between U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and allied forces. Taking place from 27 June to 15 July, the exercise involved a variety of amphibious operations, including assaults and naval maneuvers, along the coastline from North Carolina to Maine.
The 101st provided critical support to the Marines during their week on base, and the Fuels Flight played a significant role in hot refueling operations, working side by side with the Marine Corps. The aircraft, including the CH-53 Sea Stallion, UH-1 Iroquois, and V-22 Osprey would taxi onto the flightline one after the other and be refueled. Hot refueling is the process of refueling an aircraft while its engines are still running. This procedure allows the aircraft to quickly return to action without needing to cool down.
“The Atlantic Alliance exercise demonstrated the flexibility and hard work that are hallmarks of the Maineiac tradition,” said Chief Master Sgt. Grady Thurlow, the Distribution Flight Chief. “Senior Master Sgt. Maranda Thompson and the distribution team collaborated closely with the Marines to accommodate late deliveries of essential equipment, ensuring the exercise's success.”
Following the exercise, the distribution team transitioned to planning and executing the complex task of returning all equipment to its place of origin. Altogether, they managed the loading, transport, and unloading of 22 trucks carrying 62 pieces of equipment, totaling 667,000 pounds of cargo. This effort highlights all the work put into these exercises, even after its completion.
“Participating in Atlantic Alliance 2025 provided joint interoperability between the U.S. Marines and the Maine Air National Guard.” said Chief Master Sgt Bryan Mulkern, Fuels Manager. ”As a unit we were able to demonstrate integrated fuel sustainment and hot pit refueling operations, enhancing training capabilities, strengthening tactical logistics and reinforcing total force readiness.”
While AA25 was a Marine Corps led exercise, the 101st also gained valuable experience with the training. These two branches operating together highlight the importance of advancing cooperation between service branches and military preparedness. The successful execution the exercise in Bangor underscores the critical role of joint training in strengthening national defense. As the 101st Air Refueling Wing continues to support and participate in large-scale exercises like AA25, it remains committed to mission readiness and the enduring tradition of excellence and service that defines the Maineiacs.
| Date Taken: | 07.16.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.07.2025 15:21 |
| Story ID: | 543327 |
| Location: | BANGOR, MAINE, US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The 101st Air Refueling Wing Aids with Atlantic Alliance 2025, by TSgt Michelle Hopkins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
