Rep. Rose Congratulates East Tennessee Airmen on Garnering Historic USAF Designation

COOKEVILLE, TN—On Sunday, U.S. Representative John Rose (TN-06) joined a crowd of servicemembers in East Tennessee to celebrate the recent decision by the United States Air Force to designate McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base as Main Operating Base (MOB) 7, equipping the 134th Air Refueling Wing with eight new KC-46 aircraft.

 

Photos from the event can be found here.

 

The announcement follows years of advocacy by Rep. Rose. Since coming to Congress in 2019, Congressman Rose and his team have heard from many stakeholders, including 134th Air Refueling Wing Commander Col. Ronald Selvidge and Tennessee National Guard Adjutant General Warner Ross. He’s also raised the importance of this designation and the potential impact on national security, for years, to his House colleagues who serve on the House Armed Services Committee.  

 

“The 1,350 servicemembers that make up the 134th Air Refueling Wing in East Tennessee make it possible for the United States to project power around the world,” Rep. Rose said. “Those men and women stand ready to defend liberty and freedom whenever they’re needed, wherever they’re needed. Bringing eight state-of-the-art aircraft to East Tennessee means their critical mission can be carried out with greater capacity and with more versatility, securing our nation—and the globe.”

 

 

The KC-46 Pegasus will enable the 134th Air Refueling Wing to service a wider variety of aircraft and execute non-fuel related aid, improving operations during peacetime mobility or times of conflict and rapid deployment. In November, USAF announced that the McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base was selected as the preferred location for MOB-7.