KC-135 HAWAI ANG NATO MISSION

Two Hawai Air National Guard KC-135s Deploys to Geilenkirchen

Two Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers from the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron, Hawai’i Air National Guard, have deployed to Geilenkirchen Air Base, Germany, to support ongoing NATO air operations in Europe.

The deployment of the tankers from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam marks the latest contribution by the 154th Wing to U.S. European Command and NATO’s air refueling requirements. The KC-135s will provide aerial refueling support to
E-3 Sentries operating across the European theater.

Geilenkirchen Air Base, located near the German-Dutch border, serves as the main operating base for NATO’s Airborne Early Warning & Control Force and regularly hosts visiting units supporting alliance operations. The presence of the Hawai’i-based tankers will enhance NATO’s operational flexibility and interoperability between U.S. and European air forces.

The 203rd ARS, known as the “Ka Pūhā O Ka Lani” (Pillars of Heaven), operates a fleet of KC-135R Stratotankers providing aerial refueling capabilities across the Pacific and in global theaters. The squadron’s deployment to Europe demonstrates the Hawai’i Air National Guard’s worldwide reach and its role in supporting U.S. and allied operations far beyond the Pacific region.

The KC-135 Stratotanker has been the backbone of U.S. Air Force aerial refueling operations for more than six decades, capable of refueling a wide variety of U.S. and NATO aircraft.