Maine wants Guard to upgrade Bangor tankers

[unhappycamper]

Maine wants Guard to upgrade Bangor tankers
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Apr 7, 2008 7:13:11 EDT

BANGOR, Maine — Maine leaders used a weekend visit by the director of the Air National Guard to make a pitch for bringing new refueling tankers, and possibly an active duty unit, to Bangor International Airport, home of the 101st Air Refueling Wing.

Gov. John Baldacci and Maine’s congressional delegation met Saturday with Lt. Gen. Craig McKinley, who was invited to come to Bangor by Maj. Gen. Bill Libby, commander of the Maine National Guard.

Bangor’s 101st Air Refueling Wing plays an important role in refueling military aircraft coming and going from Europe and the Middle East, delivering more jet fuel than any other Air National Guard Base in the country, said Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine.

“Strategically, Bangor is located about 18 minutes flying time from one of the most heavily used operational aerial refueling corridors in the world,” she said.

But the 101st Air Refueling Wing’s KC-135 aircraft that fly air-to-air refueling missions over the Northeast have air frames that date to the late 1950s and 1960s.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/04/ap_maineguard_refuelers_040608/