Couple of "old" war stories (key word is old). During the Viet Nam war we used to refuel the B-52s coming out of Guam. We would leave Okinawa and meet over the Phillipines. Lots of fun with 3 tankers, 3 B-52s, thunderstorms so high you couldn't paint the tops, max offloads, bombers had wall to wall externals (the old D Models) and we were all trying to fit through a hole in the weather about 5 to 10 miles wide with moderate turbulence. Guess I was too young to know it was scary.
Many years later, trying to get 6 Hornets over to the Gulf for the first war. Another one of those nights off the coast of Canada. Moderate (or greater) turbulence, visibility about 1/2 mile, St. Elmo's rolling off the windscreen, trying to get on the iron drogue. 2 of them never did get their fuel and one poor guy had the hose wrapped around his radome twice. They were Marines and were trying to hack the mission. I kept hinting about "bingo fuel", abort points, etc. Just kept pressing on. Finally passed them to a KC-10 about 40 West. Guess it went okay, never heard about anybody going swimming.
Ah, the good old days!!