SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- History will be made when the 911th Air Refueling Squadron's Red Eagles join the ranks of the 916th Air Refueling Wing's Totin' Tigers during a transition scheduled to be completed during the upcoming year.

Never before has Air Force Reserve Command had an active-component tanker squadron partner as an associate unit with a reserve-component air refueling wing.

"This is the first tanker active associate unit in the Reserve Command and so we are going to ensure it's done right," said Colonel Fritz Linsenmeyer,commander of the 916th ARW. "It's a great package that includes the necessary maintenance, support and ops pieces to ensure that we and the active duty forces can work side by side."

The change was implemented when recent base realignment and closures, otherwise known as BRAC, affected Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, causing the inactivation of the 911th ARS in June 2007.

Nineteen advance personnel from the 911th ARS will arrive here in October to help prepare for the transition.

"While significant numbers will arrive in February and March 2008, the majority of the new personnel will not arrive here until the summer of 2008," said Lt. Col. Eric A. Jorgensen,chief of 916th ARW plans.

The 911th ARS will officially reactivate here in April 2008, said Colonel Jorgensen.

The eight new KC-135R Stratotankers and all remaining personnel are scheduled to be in place by September 2008.

The arrival of the new aircraft will boost the Totin' Tigers' fleet to 16 aircraft, said Colonel Jorgensen. However, parking space isn't going to be the problem.

"We already have space for all of the aircraft," said Colonel Jorgensen. "What we don't have, is office and back-shop space for the 260 additional active-component personnel who will be arriving here to form the 911th. To make room for them, we're beginning a 26-million dollar construction project. Contractor selection should happen hopefully in September and groundbreaking in December."

With tankers and maintenance manpower nearly doubling, there will be an increase in missions.

"We'll be evaluating our organization," added Sergeant Bradley. "We have to be careful that we correctly filter the active-duty personnel into our units. Ranks and experience have to be taken into consideration, and it can get very complicated. We've got one chance to make a first impression with them. We're excited to have them and their experience, and we'd like to make it a smooth transition."

The transition may be new to the current staff and to the 916th ARW, but the 911th ARS is not entirely new to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

The squadron was originally formed here as the 911th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, in 1958. It was part of the 4241st Strategic Wing, flying tankers as well as B-52 bombers.

Following other reassignments in the early 1960s and supporting global operations throughout the '80s and early '90s, the 911th ARS returned to Seymour Johnson in 1991.

The 916th ARW's current commander, Col. Fritz Linsenmeyer, flew KC-10s with them for three years while they were a part of the 4th Operations Group here.

"It is exciting to have the 911th 'Red Eagles' back at Seymour Johnson," said Colonel Linsenmeyer. "We are all anxiously awaiting the arrival of the leadership and initial cadre later this year and then to having the main body in place by the summer of 2008.

"All of us in the 916th are looking forward to partnering with our active duty brethren to better integrate the Total Force and be One Air Force, Same Fight--An Unrivaled Wingman," added Colonel Linsenmeyer.

The personnel and aircraft involved in this BRAC are coming from various bases around the U.S. to form the new 911th ARS here.

This is the only large-scale BRAC action taking place at Seymour Johnson.