Australian military forces not only got a helping hand when they needed to rapidly reposition troops and equipment as they sent forces to assist East Timor with its political unrest, but also got to see first hand how to employ the new C-17 airlifter. Australia expects to get four of its own C-17s in 2007. The deployment of two C-17s from Hickam AFB, Hawaii, enabled Royal Australian Air Force members to get some “hands-on practice,” according to Warrant Officer Vivianne Northover of the Joint Movement Control Office. Mobility airmen teamed up with RAAF counterparts to make sure cargo was loaded safely into the C-17s, since the Australians were used to loading C-130s.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth vowed to undertake far-reaching reforms on the way the U.S. military buys weapons, promising a sweeping overhaul of the way the Defense Department determines requirements, handles the acquisition process, and tests its kit. The fundamental goal, which Hegseth underscored in a 1-hour and 10-minute speech…
