This Boeing (Model 717) KC-135E was in the fleet of the Kansas Air National Guard, 190th Air Refueling wing based at Forbes Field in Topeka, Kan. The aircraft is a swept-wing four-jet-engine in-flight refueling tanker. The aircraft crew consisted of a pilot, copilot, navigator and boom operator/load master. The boom operator's station is in the crew compartment except when conducting air-refueling operations. When refueling, the boom operator works from a refueling station in a pod located in the tail.