Air Force Materiel Command has issued a time compliance order to inspect all KC-135s for faulty "tail pins" before their next flights, the service revealed Tuesday. Inspections must be completed within the next 15 days, and include not just the KC-135 refuelers, but the RC-135 reconnaissance planes and the WC-135 Constant Phoenix fleet.

"We're taking this action out of an abundance of caution, after consulting with our engineering experts," Col. Michael Kovalchek, Senior Materiel Leader with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Legacy Tanker Division, said in a statement. ....