916th on new tanker short list
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on April 17, 2015 1:46 PM
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base officials learned this week that the Goldsboro installation could house a new fleet of tankers by the end of the decade.
The Air Force confirmed that the 916th Air Refueling Wing is among five potential recipients of the branch's KC-46A -- a state-of-the-art tanker that would replace the wing's aging fleet of KC-135R Stratotankers in 2019.
And while a final decision has yet to be announced, incoming 916th Commander Col. Craig Shenkenberg said he and his airmen were "very excited about the possibility."
"This would be great for the base, local community and North Carolina," he said.
Seymour Johnson's quest for the Pegasus began years ago, when then-916th Commander Col. Laen August made a case for the tanker's placement there.
At the time, he said the installation was "well-postured to be a future location" for the aircraft -- citing the 916th's partnership with the 4th Fighter Wing and Seymour Johnson's proximity to Camp Lejeune, Fort Bragg and the eastern seaboard as "pluses" he hoped the Air Force would consider.
And the colonel also talked about the Reserve wing's reputation -- how the 916th was the first KC-135 unit called upon to refuel aircraft over Libya during Operation Odyssey Dawn and the first to refuel the F-35 and F-22.
Those factors still make Seymour Johnson a prime location for the Pegasus, officials said.
And since the first round of placements was announced back in 2013 -- a list the Goldsboro base did not make -- the men and women of the 916th have only added to the unit's operational reputation.
The Air Mobility Command and Air Force Reserve Command will soon conduct "detailed, on-the-ground site surveys of each candidate base," the Air Force said, adding that teams will assess each location against operational requirements, potential impacts to existing missions, housing, infrastructure, and manpower.
And while there is no indication, as of now, when Seymour Johnson officials will know whether the base will receive a new fleet in 2019, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James made one thing clear.
"The KC-46A Pegasus aerial tanker remains one of our top three acquisition priorities," she said. "It is absolutely essential that we replace our aging tanker fleet so we have the aircraft necessary to maintain the nation's global reach for years to come."