2nd ARS conducts final KC-10A sortie

The US Air Force’s (USAF’s) 2nd Air Refueling Squadron (ARS) at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, flew its final McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender sortie on June 30, closing out its operation with the tanker aircraft.

The unit, which is a component of the 305th Air Mobility Wing/Operations Group (AMW/OG) is scheduled to receive the first of its 12 Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tankers this November. In light of this, the squadron’s remaining Extenders were transferred to the 32nd ARS at McGuire, which will continue to operate the KC-10A until 2024.

Although the base had been home to 32 KC-10As, it will have received just 24 KC-46As when deliveries are complete. Personnel from the 2nd ARS began training on the Pegasus earlier this year and six aircrew members have already completed their qualifications at Altus Air Force Base (AFB), Oklahoma.

Since July 2020, five of McGuire’s Extenders have been flown to Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, where they have been placed in long-term storage with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG). The 2nd ARS is the second oldest squadron within the USAF and was originally established under the US Army Signal Corps in 1915.

By Tom Kaminski