Senior DOD leaders visit KC-46 tanker and 767 programs
US Department of Defense Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of Air Mobility Command, tour KC-46 tanker and 767 programs in Everett, Washington
The Pegasus tanker is designed to refuel all U.S., allied and coalition military aircraft. KC-46 chief boom operator Ernest “Burnsie” Burns (right) addresses the tour group in front of the Aerial Refueling Operator Station. Liz Wolter photo
U.S. Department of Defense Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made a stop at Boeing’s Everett site on Wednesday to visit the KC-46 tanker and 767 programs.
Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost (left), commander of Air Mobility Command, and Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sit in the flight deck of a completed KC-46A tanker at the Everett Delivery Center in Washington to receive a demonstration from KC-46 Chief Pilot John “Bart” Verniest. Liz Wolter photo
Milley was joined by Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of Air Mobility Command; Leanne Caret, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS); and several BDS and Commercial Airplanes leaders.
The group toured a completed KC-46A Pegasus tanker at the Everett Delivery Center, then crossed the Boeing campus to walk the 767 production line inside the factory. Both stops were designed to give Milley an overview of the tanker’s production flow and next-generation capabilities.
From left, Jamie Burgess, KC-46 vice president and program manager, Gen. Milley and Kim Smith, 747/767 vice president and general manager, walk the 767 production line. Liz Wolter photo
The Pegasus tanker is designed to refuel all U.S., allied and coalition military aircraft. The KC-46A is based off the Boeing 767-2C commercial plane, and 95% of a tanker’s build occurs in the Commercial Airplanes factory in Everett, Washington.
Beyond aerial refueling, the Pegasus tanker offers operational flexibility and can fulfill a critical transportation role, whether the aircraft needs to carry cargo, crew or assist in an aeromedical evacuation.
By Kate Canter
Milley signs the side of a KC-46A tanker, thanking Boeing employees for all they do in support of the troops. Liz Wolter photo
