Puerto Rico Air National Guard provides strategic location for KC-135 transatlantic emergency landing.

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Claudia Villasenor
  • 156th Airlift Wing
A KC-135 Stratotanker from the 127th Wing, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, lands safely at 156th Airlift Wing, Muñiz Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico, after reporting engine trouble during their transatlantic airlift mission, Feb. 10, 2016. The 127th Wing was providing airlift to the 1434th Engineer Company, 101st Battalion of the Michigan Army National Guard, who had completed a 30-day humanitarian deployment in Liberia, Africa.

Due to Puerto Rico's strategic location between the U.S. and Africa, the PRANG was able to meet the needs of the KC-135 aircrew to divert from their planned route of flight as means to secure the safety of the aircrew and passengers. The 156th AW firefighters, emergency responders, security forces and U.S. Customs and Border Protection representatives were dispatched to safely receive the passengers, aircrew and aircraft.