Nashville Standard

United States Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), along with the entire Tennessee delegation, have sent a letter to Department of the Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall III. The letter urges the designation of McGhee Tyson Air National Guard (ANG) Base, located outside Knoxville, Tennessee, as the seventh main operating base for the KC-46 Pegasus aircraft.

"The dedicated personnel at McGhee Tyson ANG Base in Tennessee have steadfastly served the United States for over 68 years and have established themselves as one of the most decorated air refueling units in the history of the U.S. Air Force having achieved 16 Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards," wrote members of Congress. "Tennessee’s 134th Air Refueling Wing boasts over $200M of infrastructure improvements and over 100 percent end strength over the last decade making them uniquely qualified to receive and employ the KC-46. Further, we understand that the ANG currently makes up approximately 40 percent of the U.S. Air Force’s KC-135 air refueling capability. This selection also pursues proportional distribution of next generation air refueling capability within the ANG. McGhee Tyson ANG Base/134th Air Refueling Wing is a cost-effective solution with the right airmen, with decades of proven experience in the refueling mission, and is the right choice as MOB 7 for the KC-46 and for the U.S. Air Force."

A copy of the letter can be found here.