The Air Force sent a team from Charleston AFB, S.C., to Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., to train a select group of airmen how to load C-17 airlifters so they can serve as loadmaster augmentees should the service need them. According to a report by 2nd Lt. Kerry Fields at Charleston, the Davis-Monthan airmen come from a variety of career fields. USAF believes this training will add to its capabilities for the war on terror by producing airmen who can aid a fully trained loadmaster in the not-easy tasks required for loading and unloading various cargo.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.