Local residents line up for an opportunity to see the inside of a KC-135 air-to-air refueling aircraft at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport on Saturday.
HUNDREDS of local residents, mostly children, were given a “sneak peek” of the U.S. Air Force’s KC-135 aircraft during the “Pet a Jet” open house at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport on Saturday.
The community event took place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and was made possible through a collaboration between the Commonwealth Ports Authority and the U.S. Air Force.
Capt. Tim Shenk of the 909th Air Refueling Squadron said “Pet a Jet” provided a static display of a KC-135 air-to-air refueling aircraft. During the event, members of the U.S. Air Force also described the different parts of the aircraft and their functions to community members.
“Hopefully, all the kids who came can get their pictures taken in the cockpit,” Shenk said. “We just want them to take pictures and learn more about the aircraft. … We have a not-very-common mission set. We give gas to [aircraft] in mid-air,” Shenk said.
For his part, 909th Air Refueling Squadron Logistics Lead Josiah Kim thanked the members of the community for hosting military exercises.
During Pet a Jet, he added, “we kind of show what we are using here, so that’s nothing secret. We welcome the people to see and check it out.”
Shenk said the 909th Air Refueling Squadron is here in support of Cope North 2024, a U.S. Air Force-sponsored multinational military exercise that involves U.S. allies Australia, Japan, Canada, South Korea and France.
Cope North focuses on “airborne integration for large-force employment and agile combat employment,” CPA said.
“Your island gives us an opportunity to be in an unfamiliar environment, basically not a military airfield. It allows us to see what capability we need to bring with us … at different austere locations. Basically, it just helps us to work in any uncertain environment so that is where we are exercising right now,” Shenk said.
This year, CPA said, around 1,700 airmen, sailors and Marines, along with 700 troops from Australia, Canada, France, South Korea and Japan, assembled for the exercise. The joint forces plan to fly 1,400 missions from three Pacific islands and six airfields using around 85 aircraft. The exercises are taking place from Feb. 5-23, 2024, at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport, the Francisco Manglona Borja/Tinian International Airport, the Andersen Air Force Base on Guam and the Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport, which is also on Guam.
