It takes 36 KC-135 tankers to refuel six B-1B or B-52 bombers when the bombers deploy from Barksdale AFB, La., to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, says retired Lt. Gen. John Sams Jr., who was head of 15th Air Force and responsible for half of the Air Force’s mobility assets. Sams told attendees at an Air Force Association luncheon on Capitol Hill that it takes hundreds of tankers at one time to move a fleet overseas. On the routine Barksdale-Diego Garcia route, those 36 refueling tankers may come from Fairchild AFB, Wash., Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, Kadena AB, Japan, and Andersen AFB, Guam. Additionally, the mission typically requires four extra tankers to refuel aircraft carrying support personnel and gear for the bombers.
Back from a Thanksgiving week recess, the push to pass the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act hit another snag Nov. 29, as the Senate voted against ending debate on its version of the bill. At the same time, Congress is staring down a Dec. 3 expiration date for its continuing…