Latest News, WV Press Videos

Martinsburg Guard unit celebrates new aircraft

Journal photos by Mary Stortstrom An airman with the 167th Airlift Wing admires a C-17 aircraft at the 167th Airlift Wing’s C-17 aircraft introduction ceremony on Saturday. The event marked the 167th’s conversion from flying C-5 aircraft to the C-17.
Journal photo by Mary Stortstrom
An airman with the 167th Airlift Wing admires a C-17 aircraft at the 167th Airlift Wing’s C-17 aircraft introduction ceremony on Saturday. The event marked the 167th’s conversion from flying C-5 aircraft to the C-17.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — On Saturday, hundreds of military personnel, families and guests gathered at the 167th Airlift Wing base in Martinsburg to commemorate the base’s change from C-5 aircraft to C-17s.

An Army band played the national anthem and after an invocation by Chaplain Captian Ronald Faith, guests of honor were introduced.

The ceremony also featured remarks from Colonel Shaun Perkowski, the 167th Airlift Wing Commander and a presentation about the C-17 aircraft by Bob McMahon, director of C-17 field operations with Boeing.

According to First Lieutenant Stacy Gault, public affairs officer for the 167th Airlift Wing, the unit is in the process of phasing out its C-5 aircraft and obtaining C-17s.

“(The C-17) is a little bit smaller than the C-5, which was the largest aircraft in the Air Force inventory,” Gault said. “The C-17 does the same mission of airlift, transporting people and supplies, but its smaller size actually provides more capabilities.”

Gault said the conversion to the C-17 began in July, and the 167th is preparing to fly its first C-17 mission soon.

Gault said the 167th had 11 C-5s, and is scheduled to have the eight C-17s it needs by the summer. Right now, they are in possession of two C-17s.

According to Gault, the change in aircraft will require some additional training or re-training of those who will be onboard the aircraft.

“Part of the (conversion) process is a lot of training. All of our maintenance personnel, all of our pilots and all of our loadmasters will have to be trained. We had a flight engineer on the C-5, but the C-17 doesn’t have a flight engineer, so part of the ceremony today will recognize those people who have held the flight engineer position in the past,” she said.

Gault said the C-5s at the 167th were the oldest in the Air Force inventory.

She said other units were able to upgrade and modernize their C-5s, but the Air Force made the decision to replace the aircraft at the 167th.

The old C-5s will go to a “boneyard” in Arizona, where they will be retired but can be used for parts.

“The league leadership is very excited about the change,” Gault said. “The C-17 aircraft is a more modern aircraft and has a lot more capability. Everyone is looking forward to what we can do in the future.”

To read more from The Journal, subscribe here. 

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

And get our latest content in your inbox

Invalid email address