U.S. Air Force Refuses to Provide Details on Mission in Pacific — Including the Purpose

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The U.S. Air Force has refused to provide details about a mission in the Pacific. (photo credit: U.S. Air Force)

A U.S. Air Force spokeswoman hung up on USA Herald after we called to follow-up about her checking with Lt. Colonel Kevin Larsen. That was reportedly about if the location of an Air Force mission in the Pacific is releasable, as defined by the Air Force. And Larsen had said that the Air Force would know if the location of the mission is releasable.

Previously, all the spokeswoman had claimed she needed in order to provide details about the mission was Utah Air National Guard member Deric Despain’s unit, plane or career field. Larsen provided it – and then the spokeswoman said she would need to talk with Larsen about if the location of the mission is releasable.

When the spokeswoman hung up on me, that was after USA Herald had placed a call for the same follow-up purpose a couple of days earlier.

Despain is part of the 151st air refueling wing. He fixes aircraft. His plane is a KC-135, an air refueling tanker.

“One is a specific tanker and another is the one that everybody knows it by,” Larsen said. “Anywhere we go, we are pumping gas.”

Anywhere that a tanker goes, Despain repairs and maintains them, Larsen said.

“The service in the Pacific is an ongoing mission,” Larsen said, before saying that USA Herald should reach out to the Air Force. “The specifics on the location is not releasable at this time.”

The mission has “been going on for years,” Larsen said.

As an example, he mentioned Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, which is part of the United States’ military operations in the Pacific.

“The U.S. Air Force has been there for years,” Larsen said. “I mean, the Pacific is a very broad region.”

“Because of what is going on,” Larsen said he would “let the host nation divulge what is going on.”

“We appreciate the support and hosts that we have with our host nation,” Larsen said.

Larsen said that the Utah Air National Guard defers to host guests in terms of divulging details regarding the location of a mission.

Before saying that USA Herald should contact the Air Force, Larsen said we should contact the Office of the Secretary of Defense, which includes the Air Force.