WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE, Mass. --
“No show stoppers.”
That was among the highlights of the findings from a team of more
than two dozen Airmen and civilians which visited Westover during
the first week of June to evaluate the base’s capacity to house KC-46
Pegasus tankers.
The Air Force is considering
Westover and three other bases for the Air Force Reserve’s location to
house the new tankers. The other bases under consideration are Grissom
ARB, Ind., Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., and Tinker
AFB, Okla. The site survey team visited base
facilities and toured the entire airfield, including its runways and
taxiways.
Should the Air Force decide to
base the tankers at Westover, about 300 new Airmen would be assigned
here to fly and maintain the 12 aircraft. The Air Force’s final decision is
scheduled to be made by next summer. The active-duty Air Force and
Air National Guard have selected McConnell AFB, Kans., and Pease
ANGB, N.H. as their respective basing choices for the KC-46s.