Hector International Airport is the temporary home for up to three Boeing KC-135R tankers from the Grand Forks Air Force Base. The assignment of the aircraft to Fargo is due to the reconstruction of the runway at the Air Base in Grand Forks.

The Grand Forks Air Force Base is home to 48 of the big air refueling tankers. Most of the aircraft were relocated to MacDill Air Force Base located outside Tampa, Florida. The tankers based at MacDill will fly their regular missions while the tankers based in Fargo will be used to fly crews back and forth from MacDill to Fargo in addition to air refueling missions to locations in the Midwest.

Along with the aircraft, a support crew of approximately 50 Air Force personnel will accompany the aircraft consisting of mechanics, security police, and operations personnel.

The tankers will be flying daily in and out of Fargo until early September when the runway at the Grand Forks Air Force Base is completed. The aircraft will park on either the west passenger terminal ramp or the ramp adjacent the old terminal building on the east-side of the airport.