Major Ryan Samuelson served as the pilot of a KC-135R in the 407th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron flying out of Thumrait Airbase, Oman, from January through May 2003 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Flying around 40 combat and combat support sorties during his deployment, Samuelson talks about daily missions, the ability of the KC-135R to support various aircraft, how their flight tracks reflected the scheme of maneuver on the ground, and the facilities in Oman. He also discusses how the aerial situation made mid-air collision a greater threat than enemy ground fire, the extreme variability of their missions, the roles and responsibilities of each member of the crew, and the remarkable performance of the British AWACS crews. Samuelson closes the interview by describing his communications with his family from an established airbase before and during combat operations.

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