The new C-17 transport aircraft “came of age” in the Global War on Terror when it began delivering supplies in the combat theater to help replace ground convoy missions, Gen. Duncan McNabb, head of Air Mobility Command, said at a seminar in Washington Tuesday. McNabb noted that the service’s two strategic airlifters—C-17s and C-5s—have flown a total of 13,000 sorties over the past year, transporting supplies and troops into and around the theater—the latter largely the work of the more nimble C-17. By flying those sorties, he said, the Air Force has managed to keep about 9,000 personnel per month out of harms’ way, particularly from the No. 1 killer in Iraq—improvised explosive devices.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
