Romanievi, Finland -- The 351st Air Refueling Squadron participated in a long-range aerial refueling mission, partnering with Lapland Air Command to refuel Finnish Air Force F/A-18 Hornet aircraft in Romanievi, Finland, Jan. 24-27.
The Finnish Air Force conducts air-to-air refueling exercises with the U.S. Air Force two times a year. The objective of the exercises is to provide fighter pilots with AR proficiency and currency training opportunities.
“Missions like these are important to ensure our Finnish partners are qualified to conduct routine air operations,” said Tech Sgt. Alex Govan, 351st ARS boom operator.
The mission’s goal was to improve interoperability with allied and partner nations in Europe and around the world.
The 351st ARS aircrew spent nearly 28 hours in the air, offloading approximately 7,000 pounds of gas to more than 40 different aircraft.
“We displayed our ability to successfully conduct agile operations in the high North in the middle of winter. Overall, our team went out and crushed it. We truly ‘Rocked D’ Mish,’” said Maj. Bobby Strain, 351st ARS pilot.