Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Staff Sgt. Michael inspects the retract system on the nose strut of a KC-10 Extender at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia May 12, 2015. The retract system lowers and raises the landing gear. Michael is a crew chief assigned to the Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Christopher Boitz)Maintainers extend the battle against ISIL
                        
                        
                        Staff Sgt. Michael inspects the retract system on the nose strut of a KC-10 Extender at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia May 12, 2015. The retract system lowers and raises the landing gear. Michael is a crew chief assigned to the Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Christopher Boitz)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Tech Sgt. Samantha turns on auxiliary power units on a KC-10 Extender at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia May 12, 2015. The auxiliary power units provide power and air to the aircraft while on the ground. Samantha is an electronics and environmental technician assigned to the Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Christopher Boitz)Maintainers extend the battle against ISIL
                        
                        
                        Tech Sgt. Samantha turns on auxiliary power units on a KC-10 Extender at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia May 12, 2015. The auxiliary power units provide power and air to the aircraft while on the ground. Samantha is an electronics and environmental technician assigned to the Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Christopher Boitz)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Staff Sgt. Michael reviews an inspection checklist for a KC-10 Extender at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia May 12, 2015. Michael is a crew chief assigned to the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. Due to safety and security reasons, last names and unit designators were removed. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Christopher Boitz)Maintainers extend the battle against ISIL
                        
                        
                        Staff Sgt. Michael reviews an inspection checklist for a KC-10 Extender at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia May 12, 2015. Michael is a crew chief assigned to the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Christopher Boitz)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Tech Sgt. Samantha performs a bite check on a pneumatic controller on a KC-10 Extender at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia May 12, 2015. The bite check ensures the integrity of several components that pull air from the engine. Samantha is an electronics and environmental technician assigned to the Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Christopher Boitz)Maintainers extend the battle against ISIL
                        
                        
                        Tech Sgt. Samantha performs a bite check on a pneumatic controller on a KC-10 Extender at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia May 12, 2015. The bite check ensures the integrity of several components that pull air from the engine. Samantha is an electronics and environmental technician assigned to the Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Christopher Boitz)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Maintainers extend the battle against ISILPublished May 20, 2015
                    
                    By Tech. Sgt. Christopher Boitz
                    
                    
                    U.S. Air Forces Central Command Public Affairs
            **Southwest Asia --**Fly, fight and win: words that are etched throughout Air Force history from the countless sorties flown in combat operations around the globe. Today, that legacy continues in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.But flying, fighting and winning is just one part of an even larger mission, as some aircraft will require air refueling support to put munitions on target. Those tankers, like the KC-10 Extender, can’t reach the fight if they aren’t maintained to the highest standard.Every Extender undergoes inspection, which ensures essential parts are operational to include: hydraulics systems, alternating current and direct current systems, landing gear, systems, fire protection, generators, air condition and heating and oxygen systems.“We conduct preflight, post-flight and thru-flight inspections on the KC-10,” said Staff Sgt. Michael, a Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief. “Each inspection is extensive and a little different, but they all make sure the airframe is ready for the next sortie and able to support others in the air.”Measuring at just over 181 feet in length, with a wingspan of 165 feet, it takes approximately three to four hours to complete an inspection and fix minor repairs on the aircraft. The Extender requires several specialized maintainers to ensure it is mission ready.“The crew chiefs do a lot of the basic maintenance on the aircraft; we take care of a lot of the internal and external pieces that make the jet operational,” said Tech. Sgt. Samantha, an EAMS electrical and environmental technician. “It’s exciting to troubleshoot problems that we’re not used to seeing. I love digging in to the systems and seeing how things are interconnected, learning about things you never thought went together.”The KC-10 Extender is an advanced tanker and cargo aircraft designed to provide increased global mobility for U.S. armed forces. It can refuel fighters and simultaneously carry passengers and palletized cargo.“It’s a multifunctional aircraft; we can move an entire aircraft maintenance unit from one location to another,” Michael said. “We can refuel six fighters and haul 75 personnel and their support equipment across country. We can do it all at once instead of using multiple airplanes.”The KC-10 Extender is a force multiplier equipped with an aerial boom, hose and drogue centerline refueling system capable of resupplying U.S. armed forces and allied aircraft. It can carry 356,000 pounds of fuel. Without maintainers providing round the clock support to the Extender, aircraft wouldn’t be able to refuel or make it to the fight.“One of the most important parts of this aircraft is the boom, which can pass 1,100 gallons of fuel per minute to other aircraft,” Michael said. “We have to make sure that all the hardware and parts are still intact and that nothing is corroded or broken. That boom is the reason others can get to the engagement.”The ability to maintain and keep tankers in the air has enabled coalition forces to drop over 4,000 weapons on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant targets.“Everybody’s job is important; we need everyone to get the aircraft off the ground,” Samantha said. “It’s one of the most challenging airframes I’ve worked on since I’ve been in. It keeps me on my toes. We can do so much more than any other platform in the Air Force. I have a lot of pride in my aircraft. I love it.”*(Due to safety and security reasons, last names and unit designators were removed.)*Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron 



U.S. Air Forces Central Command 



KC-10 Extender Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                SecAF, CSAF, CMSAF begin Indo-Pacific trip focused on ACE
                    
                    DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fightInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil