News

C-17 Achieved 25K Flight Hour Benchmark
November 29, 2021 — A ceremony is held to celebrate 25,000 flying hours of the C-17 Globemaster III, tail number 0534, at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., Nov. 16, 2021. Each of its four engines is rated at 40,440 pounds of thrust and the design characteristics give it the capability to operate into and out of short runways carrying large payloads. (U.S. Air Force photo... MORE

A ceremony is held to celebrate 25,000 flying hours of the C-17 Globemaster III, tail number 0534, at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., Nov. 16, 2021.

One aircraft, two missions: Travis AFB C-17 delivers aid to support two CCMD's
February 4, 2021 — The Airmen of the 60th Air Mobility Wing delivered COVID-19 personal protective equipment and humanitarian aid bound for two separate combatant commands. The Port Dawgs of the 60th Aerial Port Squadron and the Beeliners of the 21st Airlift Squadron stepped in to tackle two separate missions, helping deliver supplies to two different combatant commands using one C-17 Globemaster III. ... MORE

How the Air Force got smarter about its aviation fuel use in 2018
December 31, 2018 — Did you know the Air Force is the largest consumer of fuel in the Department of Defense? This may not surprise you, if say, you’ve ever watched a sortie of F-35s complete an aerial refueling, or witnessed a C-5 lift (seemingly) effortlessly into the sky. In fact, the Air Force consumes approximately 2 billion gallons of aviation fuel annually – which is about 81 percent of the total Air Force energy budget (with about 17 percent used for facilities and 2 percent for ground vehicles). Operational energy, or aviation fuel, is critical to mission success – but getting fuel to the warfighter involves complex logistical and technical challenges, intricate planning, and more importantly, poses safety risks to the troops transporting it. As the battlefield becomes increasingly multifaceted, energy resilience is a top concern for the Air Force, and optimized operations are an essential component to maintaining it. ... MORE

A C-17 Globemaster III from the 14th Airlift Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., banks over the Arthur J. Ravenel Bridge in Charleston, S.C., during a training mission May 16, 2006. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Russell E. Cooley IV)

Making old new again
September 13, 2016 — The Air Force C-141B Starlifter aircraft performed both tactical and strategic airlift missions and flew out of Charleston Air Force Base from Aug. 14, 1965 to Sept. 7, 2000.During the time the C-141 was stationed at Charleston a member of the 437th Maintenance Squadron built a scale model of the plane which has remained on the base, in various... MORE

(From left to right) Airman 1st Class Drew Maifeaphomsamouth, 437th Maintenance Squadron corrosion control specialist, Tech. Sgt. Andrew Finley, 437th MXS corrosion control non-commissioned officer in charge, 437th MXS corrosion control specialists Airman 1st Class Michael Mooney, Airman 1st Class Shawn Casey, Airman Riley Carter and Senior Airman William Treiber gather around a C-141B Starlifter model on Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, Sept. 7, 2016. They voluntarily renovated the model aircraft from June to August 2016 and dedicated it to the crew of a C-141 that crashed in 1982.