of Britain’ Banquet Honoring the 2026 Outstanding USAF and RAF Exchange Officers with the Presentation of the RAFMAF Swords of Honor and Recognizing Aerial Refueling – the Critical Cornerstone of Modern Air Power Thursday 1st October 2026 Grand Ballroom, The Mayflower Hotel, Connecticut Avenue, Washington, D.C.
Officers on receiving the RAFMAF Sword of Honor. Your exemplary leadership and partnership showcase the critical role of collaborative airpower in advancing a deterrent-focused force. We salute your achievement and the continued success of allied airpower. Learn More ©2026 Lockheed Martin Corporation
4 6 9 11 12 16 21 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION Major General (Ret.) Larry Martin USAF, Chairman, RAFMAF AIR CHIEF MARSHAL SIR HARV SMYTH KCB OBE DFC ADC MA, Chief of the Air Staff, RAF 23 THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP From Exchange Officers to air refueling operations, the partnership between the United Kingdom and the United States remains a cornerstone of allied air power 24 THE ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM AMERICAN FOUNDATION SWORDS OF HONOR Recognizing the most outstanding RAF and USAF officers on exchange this year 27 SWORDS OF HONOR 2026 CITATIONS Squadron Leader Phil Dawe RAF and Major Pablo Kruger USAF 28 THE INVENTION THAT ERASED DISTANCE How air-to-air refueling transformed modern air warfare by vastly extending the range and endurance of aircraft 31 COLONEL JOSEPH D. WALL USAF A profile of one of tonight’s guests – Commander of 22 Air Refueling Wing, McConnell Air Base, Kansas SQUADRON LEADER (RET) BOB TUXFORD AFC MRAES RAF The second of tonight’s special guests, who enjoyed a distinguished RAF career flying tankers for air-to-air refueling THE BIRTH OF A LEGEND The origins of the Spitfire, which became one of history’s greatest aircraft and a symbol of British ingenuity and courage HONORING A WARTIME HERO The award of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest decoration, to Colonel (Ret) Richard ‘Dick’ Heyman USAF, presented posthumously earlier this year RAF MUSEUM REVIEW News of developments across the Museum’s two award-winning sites THE AIR FORCE MUSEUM FOUNDATION: A PROUD PARTNER The AFMF and RAFMAF’s shared commitment to inspire and educate Cover image: MOD/RAF news article – 100 years of air-to-air refueling RAF MUSEUM AMERICAN FOUNDATION 3
of our enduring partnership Major General (Ret.) Larry Martin USAF, Chairman, Royal Air Force Museum American Foundation (RAFMAF) histories, the USAF and RAF have sometimes undertaken different approaches for a common end. Tonight, we will honor the strength each delivers and celebrate the unified front that is more relevant today than ever before. Tonight, the Foundation honors the close association between our services by presenting the year’s outstanding RAF and USAF Exchange Officers with the 30th and 31st ceremonial Swords of Honor. These young leaders reflect the principles shared by our airmen and airwomen, our timehonored veterans and those of us here tonight: Service, Excellence, Integrity and Courage. The Roll of Honor of previous recipients can be found on the Foundation’s website at www.rafmaf.com From that first ‘Spirit of the Battle of Britain’ banquet in 2009 to tonight’s celebration of that ultimate partnership – refueling – we treasure our past, even as we celebrate our future together. We honor our heroes and our shared heritage each year by remembering and celebrating heroes such as Battle of Britain and D-Day veterans, women aviation pioneers and, most recently, our countries’ Space Force guardians. Two years ago, we hosted USAF Colonel Richard Heyman, a D-Day veteran P-51 pilot who flew three missions over the beaches of Normandy. For his heroic actions, I am delighted to share that by working with the French Embassy, the Foundation helped secure him the French Legion of Honor medal, France’s highest and most prestigious decoration. Col Heyman was deeply honored by this medal, but sadly died before the presentation could WE GATHER TONIGHT TO CELEBRATE OUR collaboration, our working together. Through their histories, the air forces of the United States and the United Kingdom have worked together – around the world, in times of war, in times of peace and in times of hardship. And that collaboration, whether it be for warplanes fighting on the operational front or airlifters saving lives with humanitarian aid, has relied on refuelling planes to extend range and endurance. That same collaboration, whether between two airplanes or two countries, reflects our friendship that has stood the test of time. Founded in 2002, the Royal Air Force Museum American Foundation honors our brave airmen and airwomen, and showcases what unites us all. Our collaboration remains as relevant today as it was when the Eagle Squadrons took to the air to defeat tyranny. Throughout their RAF MUSEUM AMERICAN FOUNDATION 4
Colonel (Ret.) Richard Heyman USAF, pictured at the 2024 RAFMAF banquet, was posthumously awarded the French Legion of Honor earlier this year (left to right) ACM Sir Stephen Hillier, chair of the Board of the RAF Museum’s Trustees, and RAF Museum chief executive Maggie Appleton receive a cheque from RAFMAF’s Angela Coleman and Edward Sharman be made. In February, we joined representatives of the French consulate who presented his widow Barbara with the award at a ceremony in Richard’s honor. You can read more about that later in the program. RAFMAF’s philanthropic work continued this past year. We donated to an initiative by the Assistant Air and Space Attache at the British Embassy, Gp Capt Simon Nevin RAF, to place memorial plaques in the birthplaces of the 10 American pilots who broke neutrality laws to fly with the RAF in the Battle of Britain, two of whom did not survive. These plaques symbolize the valor and courage of these heroic men and the enduring bond their service and sacrifice represents. RAFMAF’s primary initiatives focus on our partnership with the RAF Museum, supporting its Learning and Engagement teams in London and Cosford that deliver workshops and activities for children across the UK. In 2025, we donated over $1 million in support of their projects. This collaboration, like that of our militaries, further strengthens our bond. And, of course, none of this would be possible without the support of our sponsors, donors and honored guests. Your efforts are most appreciated as your continued support enables us to celebrate and inspire the next generation of fighting airmen, airwomen and guardians. RAF MUSEUM AMERICAN FOUNDATION 5
Sir Harv Smyth KCB OBE DFC ADC MA, Chief of the Air Staff, RAF IT IS A PLEASURE TO OFFER MY WARMEST greetings to everyone attending this year’s Royal Air Force Museum American Foundation ‘Spirit of the Battle of Britain’ Banquet. Th is evening brings together longstanding friends and partners from across the United Kingdom and the United States to celebrate a relationship that remains fundamental to our shared security and collective success. Few partnerships in military history have been as enduring, effective or consequential as that between the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force. Th is year’s theme rightly recognises a capability that is often unseen by the public, yet is indispensable to modern air operations: aerial refueling or, as we pilots call it, ‘tanking’. Whether deterring aggression, assuring allies, delivering humanitarian assistance or projecting combat power across vast distances, air-to-air refueling provides the reach, persistence and flexibility upon which modern air power depends. It is the critical enabler that allows air forces to operate at scale, with pace, at range and at speed. For decades, RAF and USAF tanker crews have worked side by side across the globe, demonstrating the exceptional levels of trust, interoperability and professionalism that characterise our partnership. From routine peacetime operations to combat deployments, their contribution has enabled countless missions that would otherwise have been impossible. While fighter aircraft often attract the headlines, it is the dedicated men and women of the air mobility and tanker force who make global air operations possible. As we honour the outstanding RAF and USAF Exchange Officers of 2026, we also celebrate the spirit that underpins both the exchange programme and the aerial refueling community itself: teamwork, mutual support, trust and an unwavering commitment to collective success. These values have strengthened our Air Forces for generations and will remain essential as we confront the increasingly complex challenges of the future. I am grateful to the Royal Air Force Museum American Foundation for its continued commitment to preserving our shared heritage and strengthening the bonds between our nations. The Foundation’s work helps ensure that the remarkable achievements of previous generations continue to inspire those who serve today. I wish you an enjoyable evening and offer my sincere congratulations to those being recognised tonight. May we continue to build upon our proud history of partnership, innovation, and service as we prepare for the challenges of tomorrow. RAF MUSEUM AMERICAN FOUNDATION 6
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From Exchange Officers to air refueling operations, the partnership between the United Kingdom and the United States remains a cornerstone of allied air power THE UK-US SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP has anchored Western defence since the Second World War and forms the background for tonight’s celebration of our Exchange officers and air refueling. The Relationship grew from close wartime cooperation and resulted in a “fraternal association” articulated by Winston Churchill in 1946, who called for “...the interchange of officers and cadets”. Five years later, the US created the Military Personnel Exchange Program. Nowhere is this partnership closer than the one between the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force. Nowadays, RAF and USAF personnel serve within each other’s units, flying operational aircraft, sharing tactics and contributing directly to training and mission planning. These assignments foster mutual trust, professional understanding and interoperability, enabling both air forces to operate seamlessly during coalition operations. Exchange officers have flown together on nearly every mission type, contributing to capability development and leadership. The program has strengthened cooperation in conflicts from the Cold War to Afghanistan and Iraq, ensuring the RAF and USAF remain closely aligned as highly effective partners capable of responding rapidly to global crises, humanitarian missions and collective defence commitments. During the 1982 Falklands conflict, the US provided discreet, but vital, support to the UK. This included vital intelligence, satellite imagery, secure communications, aviation fuel and stocks of advanced AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missiles to enhance RAF Harrier combat effectiveness. USAF air-refueling tankers backfilled for their RAF counterparts over the UK, allowing the RAF to shift its aircraft south. Significantly, USAF also granted Britain access to the Wideawake air base on Ascension Island, a crucial staging point for the 8,000-mile deployment to the South Atlantic. Although US tanker aircraft did not participate directly in Falklands combat operations, their refueling support, together with intelligence and logistical assistance, was instrumental in enabling the successful British operations. We’ll hear more tonight about the RAF’s extraordinary Falklands air refuelling missions. Winston Churchill delivers his call for a sharing of personnel at Westminster College, Missouri, in 1946 RAF Harriers, Victors and Nimrods parked up at Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island in April 1982 RAF MUSEUM AMERICAN FOUNDATION 9
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