Warren Shumate

Heartbreaking news regarding the loss of a KC-135 and her crew of six over Iraq. These aircraft are the quiet backbone of military aviation. Without them, nothing flies very far and nothing stays very long. It appears this aircraft had a midair while engaged in aerial refueling with another KC-135 when the mishap occurred. An investigation will sort out the details. For those of us who have spent a lot of time behind a tanker, the loss hits close to home. I’ve refueled off KC-135s hundreds of times in the F/A-18. Before heading into Iraq we would often meet the tanker over Saudi Arabia, and again on the way out. Sometimes we would top off before heading back to the boat, depending on how the mission went. In the Hornet we called the drogue the “Iron Maiden.” That big metallic basket hanging off the hose. To make contact you had to fly the probe into it and put a 90-degree bend in the hose so the valve would open and the fuel would start flowing. At night… it could get sporty. Dark sky. Tanker lights glowed ahead like the Battlestar Galactica. Holding formation inches at a time. If the tanker turned and everyone slid into the clouds, things got even more interesting. You were flying formation on a giant airplane you could barely see while trying to keep the probe steady inside a dancing basket. But there was always something comforting about seeing that tanker. A massive American aircraft orbiting on the other side of the planet, often with a state flag painted on the tail. Kansas. Oklahoma. Alabama. Alaska. A reminder that home wasn’t as far away as it felt. Today we remember those airmen. The crews who launch quietly, orbit patiently, and make it possible for everyone else to accomplish the mission. God bless the souls of these airmen and their families. The  @NoFallenHeroes  Foundation and Sacred Warrior Fellowship a stands ready to support these families in any way we can. We remember them. We honor them. We pray the rest of our young men and women on the tip of the spear return home safe. instagram.com/reel/DV0ugTeET… @SuziNFH