Wichita ? More than 10 KC-135 air refueling tankers took off at one-hour intervals Wednesday from McConnell Air Force Base in the largest deployment yet for the 22nd Air Refueling Wing during Operation Enduring Freedom.

The 150 air crew and maintenance personnel on board bring to about 800 the total number of base personnel relocated in the past few weeks to an undisclosed base, which people here jokingly call “McConnell Middle East” because so many from the Wichita base are being sent there.

About 90 percent of the base’s operations personnel and 75 of its maintenance people have been deployed to the undisclosed base, said Lt. Jenny McDonald, a base spokeswoman.

“It indicates the civilian leaders of our government want as many people in the theater as they can,” said Col. Steve Wayne, 22nd Operations Group commander.

This is the largest deployment of McConnell personnel since 1991’s Desert Storm, Wayne said.

About 40 of the 67 air refueling tankers normally based at McConnell will be relocated to the theater of operations. The last two planes in the latest deployment will leave Thursday, McDonald said.

On one of them will be Col. Gary Elliott, who is leaving behind his wife, Debbie, their 14-year-old son, Jason and 18-year-old daughter, Amanda.

“We’ve gone through this routine so many times, it’s old hat,” Elliott said. But for those times when e-mail is not enough, Elliott filled a compact disc with hundreds of digital photos of his family.

Across the base Wednesday, Capt. Andrew Jackson was making some last-minute checks of his air charts to ensure his flight route did not put him over any territory he was not supposed to fly over.

“I think we all know where we are going and what could happen — but that is not what we are thinking about right now,” Jackson said.

His father, Patrick Jackson, was a Naval aviator killed during the early 1970s while flying a military airplane. Andrew Jackson carries his picture with him in his wallet.

“No one wants to go. War is bad,” Jackson said. “If it comes to a peaceful outcome, that would be incredible.”

At another building near the flight line, Senior Airman Christina Dunn waited next to a rolled up sleeping bag and bulging flight bag. It was the first deployment for the 22-year-old Indiana woman, a supply liaison for the base transportation.

Since getting her deployment orders Monday night, Dunn and her husband spent their time together at home. Her husband is also in the Air Force and the couple has been stationed at McConnell for the past five years.

“I just want to hurry up and get it done so I can get back home again to my normal life,” Dunn said.