Maintainers from the Royal Australian Air Force are getting a little C-17 training help from their American counterparts at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, as they prepare to receive their first C-17 airlifter. USAF photojournalist TSgt. Shane Cuomo reports that the 15th Maintenance Group at Hickam is training maintainers from the Amberly RAAF 36th Squadron on the ins and outs of the C-17. The RAAF expects to receive its first C-17—which will be based at Amberly near Brisbane—on Nov. 28.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
