Fix the boom

WESTERN EUROPE (April 12, 2011) -- Airmen deployed from the 171st Air Refueling Wing, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, check the ruddervator panels of a replacement boom for a KC-135 Stratotanker after attaching it to the plane in support of Operation Unified Protector. Assigned to the 313th Air Expeditionary Wing, the Airmen are supporting Operation Unified Protector, a NATO-led mission in Libya, to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack. The 313th AEW provides aerial refueling to U.S. and coalition aircraft with KC-135 Stratotankers and KC-10 Extenders. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Ethan Morgan)

Fix the boom

WESTERN EUROPE (April 12, 2011) -- Tech. Sgt. David Sparkman, 171st Air Refueling Wing non-destructive inspection inspector, magnetizes a boom strut bolt of a KC-135 Stratotanker during a magnetic particle inspection. A member of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Sergeant Sparkman is deployed with the 313th Air Expeditionary Wing supporting Operation Unified Protector, a NATO-led mission in Libya, to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack. The 313th AEW provides aerial refueling to U.S. and coalition aircraft with KC-135 Stratotankers and KC-10 Extenders. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Ethan Morgan)

Avionics anyone?

WESTERN EUROPE (March 30, 2011) -- Staff Sgt. Stephen Paluga, an avionics specialist deployed from the 161st Air Refueling Wing in Phoenix, repairs the navigation system of a KC-135 Stratotanker. The 313th now supports Operation Unified Protector, a NATO-led mission in Libya to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack. The 313th AEW provides aerial refueling to U.S. and coalition aircraft with KC-135 Stratotankers and KC-10 Extenders. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Stacy Gault)

Unified Protector

WESTERN EUROPE (April 3, 2011) -- Airman 1st Class Chad McMillen, a 171st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief deployed from Pennsylvania Air National Guard, attaches a pantograph to KC-135 Stratotanker in preparation to refueling it in support of Operation Unified Protector. Unified Protector is a NATO-led operation that replaced Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn, which was the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya and enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1973. UNSCR 1973 authorizes all necessary measures to protect civilians in Libya under threat of attack by Gadhafi regime forces. JTF Odyssey Dawn was commanded by U.S. Navy Admiral Samuel J. Locklear III. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Ethan Morgan)

Unified Protector

313th AIR EXPEDITIONARY WING (April 3, 2011) -- Tech. Sgt. Matthew Ordorff, 100th Air Refueling Wing weather technician, deployed from Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, checks the radio modem of a AN/TMQ-53 Tactical Meteorology Sensor Suite in the rain, in support of Operation Unified Protector. Unified Protector is a NATO-led operation in Libya to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Ethan Morgan)

Unified Protector

313th AIR EXPEDITIONARY WING (April 3, 2011) -- Tech. Sgt. Matthew Ordorff, 100th Air Refueling Wing weather technician, deployed from Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, checks the lightning detection sensor of the AN/TMQ-53 Tactical Meteorology Sensor Suite in the rain, in support of Operation Unified Protector. Unified Protector is a NATO-led operation in Libya to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Ethan Morgan)