MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. -- ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam - Four KC-135 Stratotankers delivered more than 55,000 gallons of fuel to two B-2 Spirits during a recent long-range training mission, Polar Lightning.
The Stratotankers and the Airmen operating the refuelers are assigned to the 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, a deployed unit supporting the Continuous Bomber Presence and Theater Security Package here.
"Being a part of the [mission] here at Guam is particularly important," said Capt. Mary E. Guest, 506th EARS KC-135 Stratotanker pilot. "It gives us a chance to do some training that we might not normally be able to do at home. For us, it's a good opportunity to do things that we're not necessarily doing all the time at home."
Captain Guest was one of the pilots flying the tankers providing the first fuel delivery 800 miles from Guam as the B-2s flew to Alaska.
Members of 506th EARS don't often have the opportunity to provide fuel to the stealth bombers.
"I've refueled them a couple of times, but not that often," said the captain. "We just don't see them very often. It's a little different for us."
Since the B-2s are stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., Captain Guest isn't the only member of the refueling squadron from March Air Reserve Base, Calif., to have a limited amount of experience with the airframe.
"I think I've refueled B-2s three, maybe four times," said Master Sgt. Yvonne M. Sell, 506th EARS boom operator.
Master Sgt. Sell was one of the boom operators who provided the first delivery of fuel for the B-2s on the long-range mission, which took place at night. "It's definitely trickier refueling a B-2 at night," she said. "You have depth perception issues. Things that look perfectly clear during the day are so much different at night.
Probably for me, it's the most challenging airplane out there to refuel at night because of the parameters and the shape of the airplane."
Despite the challenges, 506th EARS delivered the fuel and the pilots flying the B-2s were able to complete their training mission and returned to Andersen AFB.