The 100th
Crew members of the 100th Air Refueling Wing head to the apron at RAF Mildenhall for the commemoration flight of Operation Chowhound (food drops over the Netherlands on 1-8 May 1945)
Wings of Legacy
The KC-135 Stratotanker, a stalwart of the 100th Air Refueling Wing, stands poised on the airstrip at RAF Mildenhall,
Honoring Operation Chowhound’s
Before the KC-135 Stratotanker at RAF Mildenhall, Captain Alexander Pacheco of the 351st Air Refueling Squadron briefs the ground team, honoring Operation Chowhound’s legacy of food droppings over the Netherlands (May 1-8, 1945)
Pre-flight
Under the KC-135 Stratotanker at RAF Mildenhall, the 100th Air Refueling Wing conducts a pre-flight inspection—a quiet ritual of trust and responsibility before the sky calls.
Preparing for Flight
Under the KC-135 Stratotanker at RAF Mildenhall, Maintenance Technician Airman First Class Connor Colbert ensures readiness
Escaping the heat
On the wing of the KC-135 Stratotanker at RAF Mildenhall, a 100th Air Refueling Wing crew member escapes the heat inside
Inside the KC-135
Inside the KC-135 Stratotanker at RAF Mildenhall, Technical Sergeant Madison Sibinski secures the emergency door
In the cockpit
1st Lieutenant Brittany Riser and Captain Alexander Shelton of the 351st Air Refueling Squadron
100th Air Refueling Wing
Aboard a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, soldiers share a quiet moment
F-35 fighter jets
From the KC-135 Stratotanker, F-35 fighter jets of the Royal Netherlands Air Force fly in formation above the Wadden Sea
In the cockpit
In the KC-135 Stratotanker cockpit at RAF Mildenhall, Captain Alexander Shelton of the 351st Air Refueling Squadron
Refeuling in mid-air
From the boom pod of the KC-135 Stratotanker, an F-35 refuels mid-air above the Dutch coast, supported by the 100th Air Refueling Wing
Refueling
Technical Sergeant Madison Sibinski, 351st Air Refueling Squadron NCOIC XP (boom operator), skillfully refuels an F-35 mid-air from the KC-135 Stratotanker
Chief of Wing Current Operations
Captain Alexander Pacheco, 351st Air Refueling Squadron Chief of Wing Current Operations, stands in the KC-135 Stratotanker cockpit
Through the window
Two Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II jets of the Royal Netherlands Air Force await refueling mid-air
Above the North Sea
Captain Alexander Shelton, 351st Air Refueling Squadron Flight Commander, pilots the KC-135 Stratotanker over the North Sea
Through the glass
Droplets dot the boom pod glass of the KC-135 Stratotanker
The Wing Commander
Wing Commander Col. Ryan Garlow of the 100th Air Refueling Wing expertly pilots the KC-135 Stratotanker back to RAF Mildenhall
The Royal Netherlands Air Force
From the KC-135 Stratotanker, F-35 jets of the Royal Netherlands Air Force fly in formation over the surreal Wadden Sea.
