The Department of the Air Force has made a final decision to increase the size of its existing Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker squadron at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, by adding an active duty component.
The department plans to add four additional KC-135s and additional active duty personnel, making it a Total Force unit and increasing the squadron's total KC-135 aircraft to 12, with the first of the four aircraft already assigned and in place at Eielson AFB.
The service determined that adding four KC-135s and establishing an active association at Eielson AFB would be the most efficient and cost-effective way to put an active duty presence at Eielson AFB's tanker unit which will help balance day-to-day operations with the contingency capabilities inherent in the Total Force.
