A-10 in Afghanistan

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KC-10 tanker flies last combat mission as retirement looms By Rachel S. Cohen

U.S. airmen wave as a KC-10 Extender tanker jet departs Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia Oct. 5 after conducting the airframe's final combat deployment. The departure marked the end of the airframe's 30+ years of service in the Middle East and southwest Asia. By September 2024, the Air Force's fleet of KC-10s will be decommissioned, to be gradually replaced by the KC-46 aircraft. (Tech. Sgt. Alexander Frank/Air Force)

The KC-10 Extender aerial refueling jet has logged its last combat mission, closing a penultimate chapter in the airframe’s four decades of service as it heads into retirement.

The last deployed KC-10 left Prince Sultan Air Base, a U.S.-run outpost in Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 5 after supporting combat operations in U.S. Central Command, the Air Force said in a release Friday. The service did not provide details on the tanker’s final sorties.

“The KC-10 has been the anchor of air refueling in the [region] since Desert Storm,” 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron boss Maj. Joseph Rush said in the release. “Thousands of airmen have deployed to support KC-10 combat operations. … To be here at the culmination of that legacy is a privilege.”

The 908th EARS has flown the KC-10 in the U.S.-led military campaigns against terror groups in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria from Prince Sultan Air Base and Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates since 2002.

The War Zone confirmed Thursday that the mission was the KC-10′s last ride in combat operations worldwide. The Air Force did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

Since entering service in 1981, the KC-10 has moved thousands of tons of cargo, transported thousands of troops and supplied many millions of gallons of fuel to other aircraft in conflicts around the world. The jets act as airborne gas stations where military aircraft can refuel without needing to divert to brick-and-mortar bases for service.

“For a fighter, aerial refueling can take a two-hour unrefueled flight time and turn it into an eight-hour combat mission,” Rush said in the release. “That translates to uninterrupted close air support coverage for coalition troops on the ground or defensive counter-air coverage to high-value airborne assets in a combat zone.”

The KC-10′s exit is part of the Air Force’s sweeping plan to overhaul its aging inventory with new aircraft that are cheaper to maintain and can withstand the demands of future wars.

The service is sunsetting the 59-jet Extender fleet to make way for Boeing’s new KC-46 Pegasus tanker, which can carry more than 212,000 pounds of fuel, 65,000 pounds of cargo and nearly 60 passengers. The new fleet is also equipped with more defensive measures that can help it survive enemy attacks, and is a testbed for communication software that could make it a data-sharing hub for forces in the area.

KC-10s will continue to fly stateside as units finish swapping out older airframes and training on the KC-46, the release said.

The first KC-10 headed to the aircraft graveyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, in July 2020. The last of the fleet is slated for retirement in September 2024.

Despite its age, airmen often hail the KC-10 as their favorite airframe in a tanker enterprise hampered by multiple software and hardware design problems.

The KC-135 Stratotanker has faced years of flight restrictions as the service tries to fix malfunctioning autopilot software. And the KC-46 is in the midst of years of upgrades to its external cameras, the refueling boom, fuel leaks, cargo restraints and more that have delayed its full participation in global operations.

The final deployment is a “bittersweet” end to KC-10 operations, Rush said in the release.

“It’s exciting for our community, as we get to take a lot of the best parts of the KC-10 culture we’ve built over the last 42 years and bring those best practices and experiences to a brand new weapons system,” he said.

This Marine is taking challenge coins to new heights, crayons included By Sarah Sicard

For over 100 years, the challenge coin has been a symbol of esprit de corps among troops around the globe, tracing its roots back to World War I.

In the past, tokens have formally conveyed symbols of unit history or accomplishments. More recently, however, some artisans have produced more creative variants tied to military culture and humor.

One such minter is Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Spencer Garvin, owner of Sven Smash Designs and creator of a devil dog favorite, the crayon-eater coin.

“The best coin of all time has to be the crayon bottle opener,” Garvin told Military Times, noting the service’s crayon-eating trope.

Garvin’s crayon creation may be both a challenge coin and a fun way to crack open a cold one, but it is not simply some venture born out of boredom. Rather, Garvin was tasked with making a challenge coin, saw room to diversify the space and jumped at the chance.

(Sven Smash Designs) 

“I was the commander’s driver in Marine Forces, Europe and Africa, in Stuttgart, Germany, and one of the tasks they had given me one day was that the commander needs a new coin,” he said.

Several rounds of edits with vendors ensued, but to no avail.

“After probably about 10 edits, [the commander] was like, ‘You know, we’re just gonna keep the one we have,’” Garvin said.

Garvin developed an idea for a separate coin on the side, however, and spent his own money to make it. He then sold his version among his unit.

“Everyone loved it,” he noted. “That was kind of the first coin that I designed.”

Now, years into the craft, Sven Smash has a catalog of coins inspired by everything from crayons to Pokemon, Harry Potter, and Funko Pop! designs — each with a military twist.

“The tradition of it has grown,” Garvin said, adding, “They’re [just] a little bit more eccentric than the classic challenge coin.”

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