Fairchild Air Force Base to send KC-135s, refueling personnel to Europe

Refueling aircraft from Fairchild Air Force Base are heading to Greece as part of the additional 500 U.S. troops being deployed to Europe to reinforce NATO's flank, the Pentagon announced Monday.

Fairchild will send KC-135 tankers along with 150 personnel for refueling support.

The deployment also consists of 40 troops from Fort Stewart, Georgia which will make up an air support operations center and 300 personnel from Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said the deployment is "purely defensive" and is being sent in support of the 7,000 additional troops already being deployed in Europe.