03/01/12 — Look skyward Sunday

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Look skyward Sunday

By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on March 1, 2012 1:46 PM

Those who look skyward late Sunday morning will witness something that has not unfolded in nearly 20 years.

And if Seymour Johnson Air Force Base officials meet their latest goal, it will likely never happen again.

The 916th Air Refueling Wing is set to launch nearly its entire fleet of KC-135R Stratotankers this weekend as part of a wartime readiness exercise.

But while the unit's top brass are busy preparing for the event, they are doing so with an eye on the future -- and with a hope that soon, Wayne County residents will see the new KC-46A ripping through the clouds, not the aging airframe the Air Force Reserve's storied wing currently flies.

For complete coverage of the mass launch, including a video report and photos, follow the News-Argus in print and at www.NewsArgus.com.