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