Officials at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week to mark the opening of the base’s new C-17 training system facility. Air Force Reserve Command’s 445th Airlift Wing will use the facility, which opened on July 16, for the annual refresher and currency training of its C-17 pilots and loadmasters, according to the release from facility-supplier L-3 Link Simulation & Training. The wing operates nine C-17s. “We are excited to have the opportunity to train our aircrews locally,” said Col. Stephen Goeman, 445th AW commander. “Having a simulator at Wright-Patterson will result in a significant savings in travel cost, as well as provide more training for our aircrews,” he said. The facility features “a new and fully networked C-17 weapons system trainer, a training management system, computer-based training devices, a core integrated processor task trainer, and portable flight-planning devices,” states a base release. C-17 prime contractor Boeing delivered the training facility to Wright-Patt in May. L-3 Link is scheduled to stand up the next C-17 training system facility before year’s end at Stewart ANG Base in Newburgh, N.Y.
Active-Duty Airmen only have a few days left to submit an official waist-to-height ratio into the Air Force’s new online application. But the service clarified July 23 that this first body composition measurement is not meant to be scored as part of the new Physical Fitness Readiness Assessment, or PFRA