McGuire AFB, N.J., one of USAF’s new hubs for shipments to Southwest Asia (McGuire and Dover AFB, Del., have supplanted Charleston AFB, S.C. in that role) sent off its first “Red Ball Express” flight on New Year’s Eve. The Air Force inaugurated an earlier “Red Ball Express,” utilizing C-141s flying out of Travis AFB, Calif., to support operations in Southeast Asia. Late last year, USAF announced it would shift its SWA cargo flights from Charleston to the northeast bases to save time and money. McGuire now flies the new C-17 airlifter and the KC-10 tanker/cargo aircraft.
The Air Force has finished modifying and testing the new VC-25B Bridge aircraft that will serve as a temporary Air Force One, the service announced May 1. All that’s left now is to finish painting the jet before it starts flying this summer.