KC-135s from MacDill AFB, Fla., moved to Pease ANGB, N.H., on Monday as Tropical Storm Colin approached the Florida coast. The tankers moved as the base ordered all non-mission essential personnel to stay home on Monday. All base customer service organizations stayed closed on Monday as the storm approached, according to a MacDill news release. Florida declared a state of emergency on Monday, with the storm bringing torrential rain and 50 mile-per-hour winds, Reuters reported.
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.