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Senior Master Sgt. Keith Rowan, boom operator with the 168th Air Refueling Squadron, Alaska Air National Guard, conducts an aerial refueling operation while Dean Baxter, from Fairbanks International Airport Operations, and North Pole Mayor Larry Terch observe from the boom pod during a Civic Leader Flight in support of Red Flag-Alaska 25-2, June 24, 2025. The flight provided community leaders with firsthand insight into the mission planning and operations of the 168th Wing, offering a unique, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the precision and coordination required for aerial refueling missions. The event strengthened ties between the military and local communities and deepened understanding of the wing’s vital role in sustaining global mobility, extending mission reach, and maintaining a strategic advantage, key to enabling strategic air refueling missions in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Julie Avey)