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SAN ANTONIO, Texas: The eight C-17 Globemaster IIIs stationed at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii in February are fast becoming a fixture at the base, but they are certainly not the first heavy transports to grace the skies over the island paradise.
The 15th Airlift Wing's historian spoke to Airmen attending an unveiling ceremony for a C-17 display at Pacific Air Forces Headquarters yesterday, and he focused on the first C-17 delivered to the base. He also reminded everyone that the base's C-17 presence is really the latest addition to an already rich heritage of strategic airlift.
Historian Steven Diamond emphasized that the display not only marks Hickam's long history of airlift in the Pacific, going as far back as World War II, but also emphasized the importance of global mobility Hickam brings to supporting the current national military strategy.
His remarks echoed those of Gen. Paul Hester, PACAF commander, who attended the unveiling ceremony. When the C-17 first arrived to the base the general said, “These planes are strategic airlift, meaning they will fly all over the world. So consequently they will do whatever mission is on their plate. It could be taking supplies to our forces in Japan and Korea, or it could be landing in the desert in Afghanistan. Our Hawaii crews are going to be involved in everything this aircraft was designed to do.”
The role of the aircrews have in mission accomplishment and the fact that C-17s located at Hickam are the first to be permanently located outside the continental United States were important factors Mr. Diamond touched upon during the ceremony.
Mr. Diamond concluded emphasizing the aircraft's place in airlift heritage, and stressed that C-17s are performing many of the important strategic missions throughout the Pacific fore mentioned by the general.
