New tankers: Seymour Johnson is preferred site for new Pegasus aircraft

The word that Seymour Johnson Air Force Base will likely receive a squadron of the Air Force's new KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft comes as mighty good news for Goldsboro and Wayne County.

It's not a done deal yet -- other bases are still in the running -- but the Air Force has designated Seymour Johnson as the preferred site. A final decision is expected soon.

The new squadron would mean a $26.4 million boost to the base and help secure Seymour Johnson's position as one of the nation's premier Air Force installations.

The move is part of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act that also would boost Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point as well as give service members a well-deserved raise and start various reforms that would make life easier for military families.

If true, all this is good news for North Carolina. We here in the Tarheel state consider ourselves military friendly, and the possibility of Seymour Johnson getting the new tankers can only boost that reasoning.

Published in Editorials on July 11, 2017 9:48 PM