The 62nd Airlift Wing, a C-17 unit at JB Lewis-McChord, Wash., has received “the highest grade possible” in the nuclear surety inspection held at the base from June 1-7. Col. Thomas Freese, Air Mobility Command’s deputy inspector general, led a contingent of inspectors that scrutinized the ability of these airmen to execute nuclear operations in a safe, secure, and reliable manner. The 62nd AW is the nation’s primary nuclear airlift force, responsible for transporting nuclear weapons and associated equipment and personnel. This is in addition to its daily duties of hauling routine cargo and personnel around the globe. The unit passed a no-notice limited NSI last August and a full-up NSI in January 2009. (Lewis-McChord report by MSgt Chris Haylett)
It is critical that the Air Force move forward on the replacement for its E-4B “Doomsday” aircraft to keep the capability “viable” into the next decade and beyond, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. told lawmakers May 8.