McConnell remembers former 22 OG commander Col. Thad R. Middleton
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. – A pioneer of the KC-46 Enterprise will be laid to rest Jan. 30, 2026 at the U.S. Air Force Academy Cemetery in Colorado.
Col. Thad R. Middleton, 51, was a former 22nd Operations Group commander at McConnell AFB, who passed away Jan. 9, 2026, but his impact on McConnell and the KC-46 Enterprise will be felt for generations.
As a 1997 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Middleton served in the field leading and flying missions and supporting policy and planning throughout his career, including command and instructor roles in the C-130 and KC-10 communities, service at the Pentagon, and a joint assignment with U.S. Transportation Command supporting U.S. Africa Command. Yet it was at McConnell where his impact guided the base through a generational shift in tanker aviation while ensuring mission readiness.
Middleton’s time at McConnell coincided with the period of tanker modernization as the KC-46 Pegasus began entering the fleet. During this time, he led the integration of the KC-46 into the 22nd Air Refueling Wing mission while continuing to support ongoing KC-135 Stratotanker refueling operations.
Before taking command of the Operations Group, Middleton served as chief of the KC-46 Program Integration Office at McConnell, where he helped establish the aircraft’s operational presence at the base. McConnell was selected as the first Main Operating Base for the KC-46, with Middleton’s work supporting the transition from developmental testing to operational use at McConnell and across the Air Force, said Col. Joe Wall, 22nd Air Refueling Wing Commander.
“Thad set the foundation for everything we do today at McConnell and around the world with the KC-46
– both in the air, and on the ground,” said Wall. “Every time I step to the jet for a KC-46 mission, I’m
walking in Thad’s footsteps and I’m flying with the tactics, techniques and procedures that he helped
craft. He is at the core of our KC-46 operational knowledge base.”
“He left us far too soon, but his contributions to this nation will continue on for decades,” he added. ”
Every time you see a KC-46 flying anywhere, know that Thad Middleton had a role in that.”
One example of that foundation Middleton helped carve was in the KC-46’s first around-the-world flight.
While people may remember the 2024 non-stop around-the-world operational mission that was flown
out of and back into McConnell, the first KC-46 flight around the globe was a much different thing. In
2019, Middleton led the KC-46’s first around-the-world flight, which was a seven-day mission including
13 stops that demonstrated the aircraft’s growing capabilities. The journey included displaying the KC-46
at the Dubai Airshow in the United Arab Emirates, where McConnell’s role in introducing the Pegasus
was highlighted to an international audience.
During the transition into the operational world, Middleton spoke about the importance of testing and
training as the Air Force prepared to take on the new aircraft, emphasizing trust in the jet and the
Airmen learning to employ it.
“This is merely an opportunity for the Air Force to take a snapshot to see how well this aircraft is
performing and also to see how well our training programs have prepared us to take the aircraft and put
it out in the system and start using it as we need it,” said Middleton during a 2019 interview.
Fast-forwarding to the current day, the KC-46 fleet sits at approximately 100 aircraft in service today.
Thad’s memorial service will be held Jan. 30 at 11 a.m. Central Time at the Memorial Pavilion at the U.S.
Air Force Academy Cemetery, at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado.
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