Hawaii Air National Guard unit participates in centennial celebration of aerial refueling

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Just last week, you may have seen something flying above the islands you don’t normally see. Four KC-135 aircraft from the 203rd Air Refueling Wing based at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam flew in unison above Oahu to mark the centennial anniversary of air refueling.

Major Koani Lau was one of the pilots.

“I am very proud of it; it is something I take to heart; it’s something I love and wake up excited to do every day,” says Lau. He describes the KC-135 as an airborne gas station allowing other aircraft to refuel while in flight saving precious time not having to land.

“It allows us to take the fight to the adversary, it allows fighter aircraft to project their air power, and it allows other aircraft to get to where they need to go without multiple stops,” said Lau. Refueling in air takes a lot of precision and skill. That’s why it is so important for these crews to get their airtime practicing and training to be mission capable.

“Just demonstrating our skill set, our ability to fly in formation, closely and handle these large aircraft which is necessary to do the mission of air fueling, “says Lt. Col James Studer, who is also a pilot.

Colonel Walter Kaneakua was the first commander of the 203rd; When he took command, the squadron had no planes, and the good Colonel literally built the unit from scratch.

“The 203rd provided an opportunity for me and a lot of other boys and girls to come out here and actually build a unit from scratch, a privilege that is rarely given, and we were glad to do it,” said the retired Colonel.

Kaneakua speaks fondly about his time in command and says what makes this unit even more special is that it was able to use O’lelo Hawai’i when naming its aircraft. “Hoku is the call sign here, it’s the Hawaiian word for star, and each one of the aircraft is named after either a star or constellation in the Hawaiian skies,” he says.

That island pride is still alive in well in the 203rd and makes up the essence of why several of the unit’s pilots are proud to serve their state and nation.

“You know, it’s very special to me growing up being born and raised in Hawai’i to be a part of the Air National Guard and to serve my country and to protect the people in the state of Hawaii,” said Lau.

“So we want to say thank you to the local community and thank you for your support and appreciate you letting us fly our aircraft here. We’re here for you, and you are here for us,” said Studer.

And a mahalo to the members of the 203rd as they continue to train and keep U.S. air power strong, especially when the skies aren’t so friendly.

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