OMAHA- Offutt Air Force Base said goodbye to one of its most trouble-prone jets, an OC-135B that logged 36,064 flight hours and 6,135 takeoffs and landings in 60 years of use. The plane was most notably used for aerial photography missions, mostly over Russia, in carrying out the international Open Skies Treaty, but had not been used since President Trump pulled out of the agreement last November. However a hardline Republican faction has advocated for scrapping the treaty citing Russian violations. President Joe Biden has not yet made an announcement on if he will rejoin the treaty.

This is Offutt's second retirement on a plane in six months as new technology has become imperative for certain missions in the military. The OC-135B jet has also seen the most maintenance requirements in recent years.

“It’s become kind of a family. You get to go out, you get to be part of a team, away from anyone else — on your own, unafraid, in a place that not many Americans go to,” said Lt. Col. Chris Reteneller, a veteran of the squadron.

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