Air Force plans to cut back on refueling tankers in Hawaii
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A Hawaii Air National Guard KC-135 tanker refueled a B-2 bomber over the Pacific near Hawaii in this Oct. 23, 2007 photo provided by the U.S. Air Force. (AP Photo/Master Sgt. Mark Sindiong.)
Four KC-135R refueling tankers and the active duty 96th Air Refueling Squadron would be cut from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam next fiscal year under budget cuts proposed by the Air Force.
The Hawaii Air National Guard operates and maintains 12 of the refueling tankers with the active duty Air Force. The Air Guard had eight of the refueling tankers, but received four more in 2010.
The proposed cuts would return the number of planes to eight at Hickam.
The aircraft cuts and disestablishment of the 96th Air Refueling Squadron are noted in an Air Force planning roadmap for 2015.
