In 1961, Dominican Republic Dictator Raphael Trujillo was assassinated. In the following years, turmoil and conflict were the order of the day on the island. President John F. Kennedy made it clear that it was time for democracy in the Dominican Republic, and in early 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared his intention to avoid "another Cuba." After the United States Embassy was fired upon, President Johnson ordered the Marines and the 82nd Airborne Division into Santo Domingo, and the 353rd Tactical Fighter Squadron was deployed for support to Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico. In 1965, United States troops invaded the Dominican Republic to steer the outcome of a civil war in Operation Powerpack, later to be joined by forces from other countries in an early example of a "coalition of the willing."By the early 1960s, all deployments requiring aerial refueling were conducted using Strategic Air Command KC-135 tankers. The KC-135 allowed the fighters to refuel at higher airspeeds and at higher altitude. The tanker also provided navigational assistance on long overseas flights.
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