In 1999 Air Mobility Commands last air refueling aircraft supporting Operation ALLIED FORCE/NOBLE ANVIL/PHOENIX DUKE II returned to the United States July 20, while the final airlift missions finished July 26. The objective of Operation ALLIED FORCE/NOBLE ANVIL/PHOENIX DUKE II was to prevent the forced eviction and genocide of ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo, NATO launched this operation against Serbia in the former Yugoslavian Republic. It was exclusively an air campaign and NATOs first combat operation against a sovereign nation. The United States named its part of the Operation NOBLE ANVIL. Additionally, the USAF used the B-2 for the first time in combat, while F-15 pilots shot down two MiG-29s on the first day of combat. Under Operation PHOENIX DUKE II, Air Mobility Commands role in the operation preceded the bombing and continued afterward. From February 18 when the first airlift mission was flown, through July 3, when the tanker redeployment came to an end, Air Mobility Command flew 2,130 airlift missions to transport 32,111 passengers and 52,645 short tons of cargo. In the air campaign, which ended June 9, KC-10s and KC-135s flew 9,001 missions to deliver 348.5 million pounds of fuel to receiving aircraft. KC-135 Stratotankers and crews from the Hawaii ANGs 203 AREFS, on a previously scheduled deployment to France, participated in the operations. Air Mobility Commands last air refueling aircraft returned to the United States July 20, while the final airlift missions finished July 26.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 09:05:55 +0000