Summer 2017 Newsletter P.O. Box 748, Clinton, Maryland 20735

459th Wing AssociationBRINGING THE LATEST NEWS TO ALUMNI AND MEMBERS

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

28th Annual Reunion Registration Open

By Tech. Sgt. Kat Justen459th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. -- Off the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, amidst sunny April skies, boom operators with the 459th Air Refueling Wing peer out the boom-pod window of a KC-135R Stratotanker. Headed straight for them, at speeds nearing 350 miles per hour, is a gleaming-white, fixed-wing aircraft. As it gets closer, Chief Master Sgt. Frankie Rollins, 756th Air Refueling Squadron superintendent and boom operator, readies himself to conduct an in-flight refueling. When the aircraft comes within just 25-30 feet of the boom pod, it slows to about 315 mph, and Rollins, using a joystick, extends the boom arm toward a small receiving port on the top of the fuselage. Mindful of wind and aircraft

Tech. Sgt. Steve Hood, 756th Air Refueling Squadron boom operator, watches as a Naval Air Systems Command P-8A Poseidon comes in on approach for an inflight refueling over the Atlantic Ocean April 13, 2017. The P-8A is only the sec-ond-ever Navy aircraft to be fitted with a receiver for aer-ial refueling. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Kat Justen)

AFRC, Navy team up for first-ever P-8A refueling mission

Continued on page 3

SEE PAGE 4

459TH WING ASSOCIATION

Staff and Board Members

Tim McConnell - PresidentDr. Warren Johnson - Vice President

Jim Lacey - SecretaryCharles Hawkins- Treasurer

Jim PriceNancy OliverCharlie NashJim Roberts

Charles FitchLisa Diaz

Kat Justen - Newsletter Editor

The 459th Wing Association con-sists of current and former mem-bers of units in the present and former 459th wings. Through quarterly newsletters and annual reunions, the Association pro-vides a means for members to maintain contact with those with whom they served and to receive news about Wing events and member news. Reunions are held in cities within a 300 mile radius

of Washington D.C.

The 459th Wing Association pro-vides financial support for the annual awards program and the Family Day picnic. It also donates

to the Fischer House.

Mailing Address:P.O. Box 748

Clinton, MD 20735

Pictures from the 459 ARW

Summer 2017 ISSUE PAGE 2

Winter 2017 NEWSLETTER

Senior Airman Jaramie York, 459th Maintenance Group maintainer (left), provides feedback to Maj. Gen. Cedric D. George, Deputy Director of Resource Integration and Logistics Chief In-formation Officer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Head-quarters U.S. Air Force (center); and Maj. Gen. Kathryn J. Johnson, Director of Logistics, Dep-uty Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Force (right),regarding the use of tablets with data connections for viewing repair guides and for com-munication among maintainers in a hangar on Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, July 6, 2017. The intent of the generals’ visit was to acquire insight into benefits and shortfalls faced by maintainers in an effort to improve the system across the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Kat Justen)

Members with 11th Wing Security Forces Squadron perform a tactical demonstration aboard a KC-135R Stratotanker April 28, 2017, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. The demonstration was part of the Pilot for a Day program which grants children who are diagnosed with cancer the experience of being an aviator for a day. (U.S Air Force photo/1st Lt. Katie Spencer)

to fruition. “We provided multiple incentive flights to engi-neers for research; face-to-face briefings between the chief boom, standards and evaluations technicians and Navy test pilots and engineers; coordinated com-munication between Navy and AFRC leadership; and transported equipment and personnel to Edwards [Air Force Base, California] for testing,” said Rollins. With the successful completion of the first P-8A refueling mission, the 459th and the P-8A community are looking forward to strengthening their partnership with future refuelings. According to Rollins, they plan to conduct day and night training missions with the P-8A once a week. “We are looking forward to a long-standing re-lationship with the entire team at the 459th as we continue to train and test,” said Hoover. “We are partners in bringing this capability to the fleet. It will take both a P-8A and a KC-135 to get this done, and the 459th has been great to work with in helping us get there.” The P-8A is only the second Navy aircraft to be equipped to receive fuel mid-flight from a USAF tanker; the first being the E-6B Mercury nearly 30 years ago.

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movement, Rollins carefully maneuvers the arm into place. Contact! The receiver latches on to the boom and is ready to be refueled. The 459 ARW helped make history last week when its KC-135 was the first to operationally refuel a Naval Air Systems Command, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, P-8A Poseidon. “The 459th and the Air Force Reserve Command is honored and delighted to support the Navy on the P-8A project,” said Lt. Col. David Williams, 459th Operations Group deputy group commander. “We have a longstanding relationship with NAVAIR and we were excited to play a role in assisting the engi-neers with the development of the boom refueling capabilities of the P-8A.” As the Navy’s newest aircraft for maritime patrol and reconnaissance, it is important the P-8A is able to sustain flight for lengthy periods of time. “The intent behind the aerial refueling capability on the P-8A is to enhance strategic mission effec-tiveness by extending the range and endurance of the platform,” said Commander Shannon “Hoov” Hoover, Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic VX-1 Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron P-8A operational test director. “The team has com-pleted operational tests on the integration of the AGM-84 Harpoon [missile system] for surface war-fare and [multi-static active acoustic search systems] integration used in anti-submarine warfare.” Prior to contacting the 459th for tanker support, pilots with NAVAIR underwent rigorous training toward in-flight refueling certification; a skillset un-familiar to many Navy aircrew members. “We are coming from a community that has never had an organic tanking capability, so we are learning how to get this done,” said Hoover. “The pilots com-pleted ground school, as well as a simulator train-ing course, both in the E-6B Mercury and the P-8A Operational Flight Trainers. When it came time to start scheduling a tanker to take us to the next phase of training … we reached out to the 459th.” A strategic military capability a year in the making, members of the 459th worked closely with NAVAIR, VX-20 Developmental Test Squadron and VX-1 to help bring the complexities of the refueling mission

Continued from Refueling page 1

A Naval Air Systems Command P-8A Poseidon is refu-eled by a 459th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R Strato-tanker over the Atlantic Ocean April 13, 2017. This was the first operational inflight refueling of a P-8A. The P-8A is only the second-ever Navy aircraft to be fitted with a receiver for aerial refueling; the first being the E-6B Mer-cury nearly 30 years ago. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Kat Justen)

Summer 2017 ISSUE

28th Annual Reunion

PAGE 4Summer 2017 ISSUE

Thursday, September 28: 15:00 Hotel check in 15:00-18:30 Hospitality Room Open 19:00-20:30 Buffet Dinner

Menu: Char crusted flank steak with mushroom ragout, pan-seared chicken breast with lemon caper sauce, organic field greens with cucumber, tomatoes and citrus vinaigrette, roasted fingerling potatoes, seasonal vegetable medley and apple pie.

20:30-23:00 Hospitality Room Open 23:00 Hospitality Room Closed

Friday, September 29: 6:30-7:30 Breakfast 7:30 Meet tour guide and load bus for tour 8:00 Drive to Triangle, Va. 9:15-10:45 Visit National Museum of the Marine Corps

The museum presents the history of the Marines through many displays and life size dioramas of historic events in Marine military history. 10:45 Depart museum for Quantico National Cemetery

Our 28th Annual Reunion will be held near Dulles Airport in Herndon, Va., Sept. 28-30 at the Westin Washington Dulles Airport. This is a modern hotel catering to the traveling public transiting the Dulles Airport. Our room rate for this year will be $89.00. This rate is good for two days before and two days after the reunion. The room rate is guaranteed until September 4th. Please make your reservations early as this is a popular tourist hotel. After the cut-off date, it is at the hotel’s discretion whether to accept additional reservations, subject to prevailing rates

and availability. The rooms have refrigerator, coffee maker and high-speed internet access. The hotel has a restaurant and lounge as well as an indoor heated pool, whirlpool and workout center. Reservations can be made by calling 703-793-3366 and referencing that you are with the 459th Wing Association Reunion. The hotel is located at 2520 Wasser Terrace, Herndon, VA. 20171. Golfing will be handled by Chuck Fitch. Please contact Chuck Fitch if you would like to golf this year. He can be reached at: cell 240-538-1335, home 301-884-2633 or email at charles.fitch2008@comcast.net.

Meet Missing in America Project volunteer/short tour of notable graves. Flag presentation through the Missing in America Project. This organization strives to find and help preserve military veterans’ graves that may never have been accorded military honors or that their graves had lost their identity as military graves.

13:00-14:30 Lunch at the Clubs of Quan-tico (VIP Buffet Line of Smoke house BBQ) 14:30 Depart for Potomac Point Vineyard and Winery tour and tasting

This winery is great example of the wine industry of Virginia. The winery is built in a beautiful Mediter-ranean style with great views of their vineyards. 16:15 Return to hotel 17:30 Arrive at hotel 17:30-18:30 Hospitality Room Open 18:30-1930 Hospitality Room Closed (Dinner, free night to explore local restaurants or the hotel restaurant) 19:30-23:00 Hospitality Room Open

Saturday, September 30: 6:30-8:30 Breakfast 9:00-10:00 Annual Meeting 10:00-17:00 Free day for sightseeing/ Hospitality Room Open

Reunion Timeline:

Dan with President Kennedy at Homestead Air Reserve Base. This picture was taken November 26, 1962 when Dan was with the 512th Carrier Wing deployed due to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

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President’s MessageOur reunion this year is a great oppor-tunity to gather together with many old friends at one of our events. As I previ-ously mentioned, there are many people from the 459th Air Refueling Wing in the local Washington area that might attend an event at our reunion if we as a group get out and invite them. We have no restrictions on who attends, so if you know someone that was in the 459th, even if not a member of the associa-tion, please urge and invite them to one of our dinner events, or just hang out in the hospitality room to rekindle old memories. We continue to loose mem-bers each year for a verity of reasons, so this would be a very easy way to in-troduce old friends to the organization. As always, for those that have not sent in your dues, please do so.

Final Fly-ByDaniel C. Howley - Born 2/6/1931 in Scranton, PA - Died 5/21/2017

Dan attended St. Joseph University on a ROTC scholarship. After graduating in 1954, he went to flight school and was stationed at Schilling Air Force Base in Salina, Kansas. He was was also stationed in Texas while on active duty. He entered the insurance busi-ness in the late 1950’s living in South New Jersey. During this time he started flying as a reservist out of Willow Grove Air Station in Willow Grove, PA. He moved to the Wash-ington D.C. area in the mid-1960’s. Dan opened his own insurance agency and con-tinued in the Reserve flying out of Andrews. He married Nancy Jane Howley, had two sons, Daniel and Patrick. Nancy Jane died of breast cancer in 1999. Dan was fortunate enough to meet a lovely woman and was re-married in 2001 to Mary Bee. Dan also had five grandchildren.

Saturday, September 30 cont.: 17:00-18:00 Hospitality Room Closed 18:00-19:00 Before Dinner Reception (in Hospitality Room) 19:00-21:00 Dinner Menu: Pan-seared salmon with pineapple mango sauce or center cut NY strip steak, with smoky mushroom ragout, hearts of romaine with Caesar dressing, shaved parmesan and croutons chef’s vegetable selections and New York style cheesecake with a raspberry coulis.

21:00-23-00 Hospitality Room Open

Sunday, September 31: 06:00-12:00 Check out of Hotel

Dan with President Kennedy at Homestead Air Re-serve Base Nov. 26, 1962 when Dan was with the 512th Carrier Wing deployed due to the Cuban Mis-sile Crisis. (Courtesy photo)

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Registration Form

Member

Registration Form

Member

Registration Form

Member Name:_______________________ Guest Name:____________________________

Friday Tour Lunch:Buffet

Closing Night Dinner:

Member Guest Circle One: Circle One:

Salmon Salmon Strip Steak Strip Steak

Number of full programs__________x$150p.p.=Total__________

Send registration form and check payment to: Chance to win a free night and dinner459th Wing Association Reminder, we will have a contest for the P.O. Box 748 Clinton, Md. 20735-0748 people who reserve the hotel and pay Registration before August 31st. A Questions? Call or email Tim McConnell drawing will pick one lucky winner to Home: 703-690-0356 to receive one free hotel night and a freeCell: 703-587-3212 dinner.Email: ts.mcc@verizon.net

Included in $150 complete package: Hospitality Room for

three days including snacks, beverages, wine and beer; open-

ing night reception and buffet dinner; full bus tour and entrance

fees; Friday lunch buffet, Satur-day reception and plated dinner with wine. As you can see, the

cost this year is $50 cheaper than last year, so no excuses

for not coming!

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION AND ANNUAL DUES

Dear Fellow 459th Members and Former Members;

The general purpose of this association is to promote and encourage current and former members of the 459th Wing to remain in touch with those with whom they served, and to support morale programs for active 459th reserv-ists and their families. Activities of the Association include:

• Publishing a quarterly newsletter containing articles regarding Association members, Association events, and 459th Air Refueling Wing activities.

• Providing financial support for the 459th ARW Annual Awards program.

• Providing financial support for the Family Day Picnic.

• Donating to the Fischer House.

• Holding annual reunions in cities within an approximate 300 mile radius from Washington, D.C.

459th Troop Carrier Wing 459th Airlift Wing

459th Tactical Airlift Wing 459th Air Refueling Wing

Please cut here and return completed firm with check

Membership Application and Renewal of Annual Dues, 2017.

Please complete this form and return with check for $15.00 payable to:

459th Wing AssociationP.O. Box 748Clinton, MD 20735 Name ________________________________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip Code _____________________________________________________________

Phone – home _________________________________________________________________

Email _________________________________________________________________________ Current or last position in the 459th __________________________________________________

I am/was assigned to 459th Wing or associate unit.

From _________ to __________

PAGE 7Summer 2017 ISSUE

459th Wing AssociationP.O. BOX 748, clinton, maryland 20735-0748

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