The last chapter in the KC-135 era at McConnell Air Force Base began in July with the departures of two KC-135 Stratotankers to new homes.
The first KC-135R Stratotanker was launched July 14, heading to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, for depot-level activities prior to its transfer to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. There, it will go to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, commonly known as the “boneyard.”
The second outbound KC-135 was flown to its new home at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, on July 15, and sported its new home-unit designations on the aircraft’s nose before takeoff.
As each KC-135 departed, it was saluted by leaders and Airmen from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, the 22nd Operations Group, the 350th Air Refueling Squadron and the 722nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.
While the movement of two KC-135s seemed like a standard aircraft preflight and launch with a little extra ceremony, it was merely the most visible part of a complex, multilayered effort needed to switch out the aircraft flown at McConnell.
“This is more than just moving iron; people are at the heart of this transition,” said Col. Joe Wall, 22nd ARW commander. “Our Airmen are pivoting to sustain the remaining KC-135 fleet, pursuing new opportunities or stepping up to lead the KC-46 enterprise. It’s a massive realignment of talent, tools and equipment to build our future.”
The units most impacted by the conversion are the 722nd AMXS and 350th ARS, which are the last remaining KC-135 units at McConnell.
That conversion is managed by the 22nd ARW’s Conversion Task Force, which is tracking, tasking and juggling multiple external factors and problem-solving to create the best formula for moving the right aircraft with the right number of people, parts and tools at the right time. The goal is to ensure the smoothest and most effective transition possible. The task force will also juggle the departure of KC-135s with the arrival of KC-46s, simultaneously allowing the 22nd ARW to complete its total conversion to a KC-46 wing.
Each KC-135 moving out has its own history and its own saga, carved out by generations of Airmen operating each aircraft at home and overseas. For decades, the KC-135 has been the backbone of Air Mobility Command’s air refueling capabilities, while also providing airlift and aeromedical evacuation to the nation, allies and partners. These global missions will continue throughout this final changeover process.
“This aircraft swap physically transforms our flightline, but it doesn't change our mission,” Wall said. “We are completing this conversion while seamlessly delivering air refueling and airlift capabilities to the Joint Force. People depend on us, and we will be there.”
McConnell’s conversion to the KC-46 actually began in the 2010s, with new construction to accommodate the KC-46s and the base receiving its first two KC-46s in January 2019. Since then, McConnell has been AMC’s only dual-tanker wing, allowing the base to leverage its KC-135 expertise and capabilities while building the knowledge base, cadre and prowess of the KC-46 enterprise.
Over the following years, two of the 22nd ARW’s flying squadrons — the 344th ARS and then the 349th ARS — each bid farewell to their KC-135s and converted to the KC-46. The wing also added another KC-46 flying squadron when the 64th ARS was activated at Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire, as a geographically separated unit of the 22nd ARW, flying with the Guard’s 157th ARW there. In 2020, the 22nd ARW’s Reserve Associate, the 931st ARW, shifted over to the KC-46 completely.
The local community also embraced the change. In 2021, the local baseball team, the Wichita Wind Surge, made the Pegasus its mascot in homage to the KC-46 Pegasus. Along the way, McConnell has been able to contribute to a number of missions by having two different air refueling platforms taskable for the full range of missions available.
Each of those events is among the many milestones for the wings and squadrons involved, and brings the 22nd ARW to this next step toward full conversion to the KC-46.
The KC-135 era at McConnell began in 1971, when the 99th Air Refueling Squadron (Heavy) arrived to begin training with the KC-135A Stratotanker. That squadron was soon absorbed into the 384th Air Refueling Wing (Heavy), which became the base’s host unit and operated KC-135s into 1994, through several organizational redesignations including the addition of B-1 Lancers to that wing. The 22nd ARW moved to McConnell in 1994 to become the host unit and has operated KC-135s ever since.
The KC-135 era at McConnell will come to its conclusion in 2027.