D’oh! This Is Not Rocket Science

A B-52 sips gas from a KC-135 tanker over Guam / Air Force photo by Angelita M. Lawrence

A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortess aircraft gets refueled by a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft from the 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron during exercise Cope North at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 22, 2011. The U.S. Air Force and the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force conduct Cope North annually at Andersen to increase combat readiness and interoperability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Angelita M. Lawrence/Released)

Tough times call for tough measures. The U.S. has maintained what the Air Force has dubbed a Continuous Bomber Presence on Guam in the Pacific since 2004 (Hello China! Good morning, North Korea!). Every time a B-52 bomber unit rotates in for its six-month tour it would bring along its B-52 Stratofortress mobility readiness spares package kit.

What’s an MRSP kit? Eight semi-tractor trailer trucks crammed full of spare parts. Then, when their six months were up, the six or so B-52s would fly back to their home base, and ship their MRSP kit back home with them via sea and air. Of course, the incoming B-52 squadron would bring its own MRSP kit as well, from their home base in either Louisiana or North Dakota — some 7,000 miles.

You can see where this is going:

The Air Force has just decided that it makes no sense for each B-52 unit to bring its own MRSP kit to Guam, and then take it back home. Why not just leave a kit there permanently? Bingo! You just saved $1 million a month.