FAIRCHILD A.F.B. – The U.S. Air Force announced Tuesday, Dec. 21, that it will not be using Fairchild Air Force Base as the “sixth main operating base for the KC-46A aerial refueling tanker.”
Congresswoman Rep. McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, and Sen. Patty Murray, R-Shoreline, both pushed for Fairchild to be taken into consideration.
“I am disappointed to hear that Fairchild Air Force Base was not selected to be the next home of the KC-46 tanker fleet,” McMorris Rodgers said. “While this is not the news we were hoping for, I have no doubt that Fairchild will continue to serve as a center of excellence for the KC-135 fleet and play a critical role in refueling missions.
“For years, I have advocated for the incredible men and women who serve selflessly on this base in Eastern Washington, and that work will continue.”
Murray, too, said she is disappointed.
“As one of the largest air-refueling tanker bases in the country, Fairchild Air Force Base already possesses the needed capacity and ability to accommodate KC-46A aerial refueling tankers — which makes the Air Force’s decision not to house the new KC-46A fleet at Fairchild all the more inexplicable,” she said. “I am incredibly disappointed with this decision, as the Air Force has once again chosen to overlook the clear capacity, location, and personnel advantages that make Fairchild the absolute best location for Main Operating Base Six.
Murray said the Air Force “has made the wrong choice.”
“ I want to know how this decision was reached,” she said.
Reporter Matthew O. Stephens can be reached at [email protected].
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