TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. —
Team Travis members, veterans, military and local community leaders gathered to bid farewell to the last U.S. Air Force KC-10 Extender and commemorated the aircraft’s rich history in a ceremony Sept. 26, 2024.
After 44 years of service, the KC-10 was decommissioned during the final farewell event hosted by U.S. Air Force Col. Jay Johnson, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander.
The ceremony featured opening remarks by the 60th AMW commander, a video introduction presented by Col. Patrick Brady-Lee, 349th AMW commander, remarks by Gen. Johnny Lamontagne, Air Mobility Command commander, and a keynote speech by retired Gen. Paul Selva, former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former 9th Air Refueling Squadron commander.
“What I want to do is say thank you to all of you, to every one of you, for everything you have given that [KC-10] machine,” said Selva. “Whether you are a maintainer, an operator, or a member of the support team that makes it possible for us to fly the airplane, you have made the reputation that is the KC-10…this is not the end of an era, it’s just another chapter of a long story.”
A derivative of the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, the KC-10 entered service in 1981, and has been a key enabler of global airpower, supporting combat operations, humanitarian missions and allied partnerships around the world.
“For decades, the KC-10 has taken to the skies to provide in-flight refueling, a vital capability that delivers global reach for America and is the lynchpin to joint power projection,” said Gen. David W. Allvin, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, in a video address. “From its initial days in Strategic Air Command through today, the KC-10 has linked the continents and guaranteed our promise of American airpower anytime, anywhere.”
“Your chests should be really high, with broad shoulders. You have made magic happen with your predecessors for the last 44 years,” said Lamontagne. “You have made that history.”
The KC-10’s legacy is tied to the thousands of Airmen who maintained, flew, and supported its missions, extending the reach of airpower across the globe.
“The KC-10’s legacy is not just about the collection of impressive statistics, but more importantly, it’s about the people, community and the Airmen who made the aircraft what it is,” added Johnson. “As the KC-10 takes its last flight, its legacy doesn’t end. With that last touchdown, those lessons will be passed on through friendship, through the knowledge you all have passed down through generations.”
Legacy
The KC-10 was designed to provide increased global mobility for U.S. armed forces. Although its primary mission was aerial refueling, it also provided airlift of personnel and equipment on overseas deployments. Beyond combat operations, the KC-10 and its crews provided essential support in humanitarian missions. It’s refueling capabilities and cargo capacity enabled rapid response to natural disasters, such as hurricane relief and earthquake recovery efforts, in ensuring timely aid delivery to those in need.
During operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1991, the KC-10 fleet provided in-flight refueling to aircraft from the U.S. armed forces as well as those of other coalition forces. In the early stages of Operation Desert Shield, in-flight refueling was key to the rapid airlift of materiel and forces. In addition to refueling aircraft, the KC-10, along with the smaller KC-135, moved thousands of tons of cargo and thousands of troops in support of the massive Persian Gulf buildup. The KC-10 and the KC-135 conducted about 51,700 separate refueling operations and delivered 125 million gallons of fuel without missing a single scheduled rendezvous.
In March 1999, a NATO air campaign, Operation Allied Force, was launched against the government of Yugoslavia. The mobility portion of the operation began in February and was heavily tanker dependent. By early May 1999, around 150 KC-10 and KC-135 aircraft deployed to Europe where they refueled bombers, fighters and support aircraft engaged in the conflict. The KC-10 flew 409 missions throughout the entire campaign and continued support operations in Kosovo.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, KC-10s have played a prominent role. The KC-10 has flown more than 350 missions guarding U.S. skies as a part of Operation Noble Eagle. During operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, KC-10s flew more than 1,390 missions delivering critical air refueling support to numerous joint and coalition receiver aircraft.
The KC-10 was also heavily relied upon during Operation Allies Refuge, the largest non-combatant evacuation operations (NEO) in U.S. history, according to the State Department. The KC-10 moved more than 3,000 evacuees from safe havens in Europe and the Middle East to the United States and provided air refueling throughout the NEO. More than 40 percent of the KC-10 fleet was deployed in support of this effort.
Look to the future
Looking to the future, air refueling remains a prominent focus as Air Mobility Command continues to project the Joint Force and the U.S. Air Force continues to reoptimize for the great power competition.
“Even when the Extender heads over the horizon today, the KC-10’s accomplishments will never fade,” Allvin said. “We can never forget that it was not the metal that made the KC-10 great – it was the people.”
There are generations of crews, maintainers, and support Airmen who gave their blood, sweat, and tears to build the aircraft’s legacy that is honored today, Allvin said.
The final destination for the aircraft will be with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The AMARG, America’s Airpower Reservoir, is a specialized facility within the Air Force Sustainment Center. It provides aircraft preservation and storage, parts reclamation, disposal preparation, aircraft regeneration to flying status and depot maintenance for America’s military services, U.S. government agencies and allied governments.
As the KC-10 retires, the Air Force is replacing it with the KC-46A Pegasus. As of September 2024, 88 KC-46s have been delivered. The 60th AMW will gain the KC-46 and continue to provide unmatched air refueling and enable the U.S. military’s global reach and power projection capabilities.
