Senior Airman Sierra Dopfel, a boom operator assigned to the Air Force Reserve 931st Air Refueling Group, McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., controls the air refueling boom of a KC-135 Stratotanker during an air refueling exercise, May 12, 2014. Dopfel's job is to "fly" the KC-135's refueling boom into the receiving aircraft's fuel receptacle in order to transfer fuel while in flight. Air refueling allows aircraft to stay airborne without having to land to refuel and extends the reach of the Air Force. Capt. Zach Anderson

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Photo credit: © Z2A1 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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Keywords: .., aerial, air, base, boom, defense, force, kc-135, mcconnell, military, operator, refueling, reserve, stratotanker, united, war