WEBVTT

00:04.894 --> 00:06.881
- [Lexie] A KC-135 Stratotanker

00:06.881 --> 00:08.962
and crew members from RAF Mildenhall

00:08.962 --> 00:11.574
participated in joint training with the Hellenic Air Force

00:11.574 --> 00:13.907
in Athens, Greece this week.

00:14.066 --> 00:16.430
This joint training operation between the two nations

00:16.430 --> 00:18.536
focused on air-to-air refueling

00:18.536 --> 00:22.281
in order to support NATO interoperability requirements.

00:22.281 --> 00:23.594
Captain Richard Jackson,

00:23.594 --> 00:25.826
the aircraft commander for this mission,

00:25.826 --> 00:29.353
explains why this training was important for both nations.

00:29.353 --> 00:33.330
- The big significance thing here is that as a KC-135 pilot,

00:33.330 --> 00:35.934
this is my first time to actually land

00:35.934 --> 00:37.855
at an international airfield.

00:37.855 --> 00:40.237
So this training alone is extremely beneficial

00:40.237 --> 00:42.894
for all of the pilots on board up front

00:42.894 --> 00:45.444
to see the International Airport

00:45.444 --> 00:48.325
and how that operation is conducted.

00:48.325 --> 00:49.431
But on top of that,

00:49.431 --> 00:51.623
conducting air-to-air refueling with the Hellenic Air Force

00:51.623 --> 00:54.857
was a huge opportunity for us to gain training

00:54.857 --> 00:56.543
for our boom operators in the back,

00:56.543 --> 01:00.622
having gone through 30 contacts with 22 different receivers.

01:00.622 --> 01:03.056
We got a lot of training done today in that regard.

01:03.056 --> 01:04.496
- [Lexie] The success of this training mission

01:04.496 --> 01:07.625
was also seen firsthand by the boom operators.

01:07.625 --> 01:11.208
- So there were 22 Hellenic Air Force F-16s

01:12.045 --> 01:14.608
and I think they did really well,

01:14.608 --> 01:17.210
they got of beneficial training for those guys,

01:17.210 --> 01:21.377
and a lot of them got current and qualified in air fueling.

01:21.742 --> 01:23.506
- [Reporter] This training mission was significant

01:23.506 --> 01:26.393
as this was the first time the 100th Air Refueling Wing

01:26.393 --> 01:28.643
operated in Athens, Greece.

01:28.846 --> 01:30.302
Reporting from Athens, Greece,

01:30.302 --> 01:33.219
I'm Airman First Class, Lexie West.

