Officials at JB Charleston, S.C., welcomed the arrival of The Spirit of Airborne, the Air Force’s 215th and newest C-17 transport, for beddown. Members of Charleston’s 315th Airlift Wing, an Air Force Reserve unit, flew the C-17 from Boeing’s manufacturing plant in Long Beach. Calif., to Charleston on Jan. 26, bringing the joint base’s Globemaster III fleet to 56 airframes. Along for the cross-country flight was Maj. Gen. Robert Kane, director of global reach programs in the Air Force’s acquisition office. The 315th AW operates and maintains Charleston’s C-17s under an association with the active duty 437th AW. The Air Force has ordered 223 of the 224 C-17s for which Congress has appropriated funds. The Air Force’s 214th C-17 arrived at Charleston in December.
Navy Adm. Samuel J. Paparo Jr. assumed leadership of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, succeeding Navy Adm. John Aquilino at a change of command ceremony, urging action amid China's “increasing intrusive and expansionist claims,” on May 3