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AF General > Multiple aerial refuelings
Multiple aerial refuelings
On May 31, 1967, while piloting a KC-135 Stratotanker over the Gulf of Tonkin, Maj. John H. Casteel and crew from the 902nd Air Refueling Squadron carried out a series of emergency refuelings that saved six fuel-starved Navy fighters. It was the first multiple air refueling between a KC-135 and a Navy A-3 Skywarrior tanker which simultaneously refueled a Navy F-8 Crusader under emergency fuel shortages and combat conditions. The action earned Major Casteel and his crew the Mackay Trophy for meritorious flight achievement. They were the first Strategic Air Command tanker crew to win.
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