McConnell commander: New runway, new missions, Blue Angels coming back | Commentary

Another journey around the sun has come to an end and McConnell hit big milestones during that time.

A few highlights:

▪ Last January, we had the pleasure of performing the first KC-46 formation using minimum interval takeoff, or MITO, procedures. No matter which airfield you are at, those critical seconds saved between takeoffs when executing a MITO can be the difference between mission success or failure.

▪ McConnell Airmen had the honor of working side-by-side with the Andover community to assist with clean up after an EF-3 tornado caused severe damage to the town. More than 275 of our Airmen volunteered in April and May, working everything from manning chainsaw crews to debris cleanup. We are privileged to live and work in south-central Kansas and will always offer a helping hand when needed.

▪ In the beginning of May, McConnell Airmen broke Air Mobility Command’s existing record for the longest duration flight. We did so in a KC-46 Pegasus air tanker, flying a 24.2 hour sortie. The flight traveled more than 9,000 miles with two pilot teams rotating on four-hour shifts. This sortie was a critical step in the operational evolution of the KC-46, and helped mobility forces identify how best to operate on long-duration sorties from human, to machine, to mission aspects.

▪ Throughout the year we participated in multiple Employment Concept Exercises, designed to test the KC-46 in real-world operations. The first was from March to April in Spain where the KC-46 refueled Spanish F/A-18 Hornets, and marked the first international receiver for the Pegasus.

The next ECE took place in June in Japan, involving more than 100 McConnell Airmen and four KC-46s refueling U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornets and U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightnings. The last ECE occurred in Qatar, at the end of August to mid-September, during which Airmen underwent 24-hour operations and completed the first operationally-tasked combat sortie by refueling two F-15E Strike Eagles.

▪ December saw our Airmen up the ante by performing a Bomber Task Force escort mission, where two of our KC-46s and crews flew in the Pacific in support of long-range precision strike training. That escort mission lasted over 46 hours and included a short time on the ground in Guam. That means the mission didn’t break another record, but it more importantly proved KC-46s are able to integrate and provide mission flexibility in support of the U.S. National Defense Strategy.

While our Airmen have been accomplishing big things all over the world, we have also made improvements right here at home. Last March, we closed one of our runways for a $9.5 million construction repair — it just reopened on January 19. We also started a $5.3 million repaving project for Wichita Street on McConnell. Additionally, we will likely have more than $30 million in construction projects over the next five years. Our contracting, support, finance, and civil engineer teams work hard every day to make sure our installation is viable for decades to come.

Speaking of the future, 2023 holds great things for McConnell. The last week of March, our Airmen will participate in Lethal Pride, an Agile Combat Employment exercise. This will further our capabilities, as we build toward participating in Mobility Guardian 2023 — a capstone exercise in the Pacific.

Last, but not least, mark your calendars for Aug. 24-25, 2024, for the next Frontiers in Flight 2024 Open House and Air Show featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron. The Blue Angels have not been to McConnell since 2007, and we’re excited to bring them to the Air Capital. We are surrounded by the best communities across the Air Force, and it’s a privilege to open our gates and show you what we are all about.

We are proud to live, work, and serve in this community. Every accomplishment we make is to better serve our nation, our local communities, and each of you. Thank you for your unending support of your base.

We are McConnell. People depend on us. We’ll be there!

This story was originally published February 1, 2023 at 5:30 AM.