Grissom logs record flight hours for FY15
GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind -- In 2015 the 434th Air Refueling Wing put more flight into the fight than ever
before.
The wing logged 7,030 flight hours during fiscal 2015 - a
historical record for Grissom and an increase of 36 percent from fiscal
2014.
"The statistics are remarkable," said Col. Doug Schwartz, 434th Air
Refueling Wing commander. "This is a tremendous achievement for the entire wing.
Everyone deserves a pat on the back for a job well done."
"This is a
milestone for Grissom," said Lt. Col. Todd Moody, 74th Air Refueling Squadron
director of operations. "We've never flown this many hours in one year
alone."
According to Moody, the dramatic increase in flight hours can be
attributed to the support Grissom Airmen provided both stateside and overseas in
support of extensive deployments to Southwest Asia.
"We had over 3,600
combat flight hours this year, and it proves that we can employ our capabilities
because our training prepared us to do so," Moody explained. "This [record]
shows that preparation and training at home station provides what the warfighter
needs wherever we deploy to, and kudos to maintenance Airmen for allowing us to
accumulate this many flying hours."
In order to carry out the KC-135's
Air Mobility Command and aerial refueling mission, Grissom's 434th Maintenance
Group maintainers are largely credited for making the 2,000 flight-hour increase
a possibility.
"I am very proud of all the maintainers," said Col. Anna
Schulte, 434th Maintenance Group commander. "From keeping up with scheduled
inspections, to having proactive support personnel from supply and traditional
reservists and active reserve technicians working together harmoniously - this
[achievement] takes all team players coming together."
The 434th Air
Refueling Wing holds the record for most aerial refuelings in a one week period
when the unit performed 290 aerial refuelings with over one million pounds of
fuel offloaded. The unit also set a single day record of refueling 90 aircraft
with over 283,000 pounds of fuel offloaded.
"The success of Grissom's
record flight hours is a real barometer of the execution of everyone doing their
jobs right," said Lt. Col. Brian Hollis, 72nd Air Refueling Squadron director of
operations. "Everyone in this wing should take pride in this
milestone."
The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker in the Air
Force Reserve Command. Airmen and aircraft from the 434th ARW routinely deploy
around the world in support of the Air Force mission and U.S. strategic
objectives.
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