SMSgt. Floyd Atkins,
a boom operator with the 151st Air Refueling Squadron at McGhee Tyson ANGB,
Tenn., reached 8,000 refueling hours during a mission over Qatar recently. Atkins
reached the milestone while refueling a B-1B Lancer in support of Operation
Enduring Freedom in mid-July, according to a
release. He was
assigned to the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron at Al Udeid AB,
Qatar, at the time. It "signifies the love for what I do," he said. A
boom operator typically hits an average of 5,000-to-6,000 refueling hours,
states the release. His goal is to "reach the 8,765-hour mark, which would
equal one full year of flying time," said Atkins. "The Air Force and
Air National Guard have given me everything they promised and more," said
Atkins. "I've covered a lot of ground in those 8,000 hours."
