An Air Force Reserve Command aircrew on Sept. 26 flew the C-141 Starlifter’s last combat mission—ferrying cargo to Europe, then patients out of Southwest Asia. AFRC’s 445th Airlift Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the last operational C-141 wing in USAF, and it is now transitioning to the C-5 airlifter, with the first to arrive in early October. Since 2002, the 40-year-old C-141 has flown 70 percent of the sick and wounded from the SWA theater. The 445th will continue flying C-141s—within the US borders—until spring 2006.
While the Space Force is still making long-term plans to establish high-fidelity live and virtual test and training ranges in the coming years, officials say they're also working with operators to identify near-term gaps and quickly field capabilities to address them.
