Saturday, June 23

McGUIRE AFB – On Saturday, June 23, the 108th Air Refueling Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard will be providing a media flight aboard a KC-135 tanker aircraft.  The mission for that day will be to provide air-to-air refueling for an F-22 Raptor, the Air Force's newest fighter jet.

      The Raptor is the Air Force's most advanced aircraft and a quantum leap in capability that airpower can bring to the fight.   This transformational combat aircraft is effectively invisible to threats, cruises at supersonic speeds, is highly maneuverable, and provides the joint force an unprecedented level of integrated situational awareness.

      Media wishing to fly aboard the KC-135 tanker aircraft during this mission must contact Lieutenant Kelly or Lt. Col. Garcia by noon on Wednesday, June 20.  Photo/video of the F-22 can be taken during the course of the refueling. Media should expect to spend the better part of the day on this mission, departing and returning to McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey.

      Also, on Friday, June 22, the pilot of the Raptor will be available to conduct phone interviews.  Maj. Paul “Max” Moga is an operational F-22A instructor pilot and an Air Combat Command demonstration pilot.  He is a seasoned fighter pilot with more than 1,600 fighter hours and 250 combat hours over Yugoslavia and Iraq .

      To get call-in information, members of the media should contact either Lt. Col. Garcia or 2nd Lt. Kelly at the numbers listed above.