Hundreds gathered here Sept. 15 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the C-17A Globemaster III's maiden flight -- from a manufacturing plant in Long Beach, Calif. to Edwards -- that took just over two hours.

Millions of flight hours later, the Globemaster has lived up to its name -- delivering its payload just about anywhere in the world.

"It allows us to deliver hope, fuel the fight and save lives," said Col. Andrew Ingram, C-17 System program manager at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

McChord Field received its first C-17 July 20, 1999. The aircraft at McChord Field are flown by Airmen from the 62nd and 446th Airlift Wings. The 7th AS was the first active-duty squadron to fly the C-17 out of McChord Field and the 728th Airlift Squadron was the first Reserve squadron at McChord to transition from the C-141 to the C-17.

Team Edwards has been a key to the success this airframe has had and continues to have.

Lt. Col. Clifton Janney, commander of the 418th Flight Test Squadron, which is responsible for testing the airlifter, said none of this would have been possible without the vision and innovation of a special team "dedicated to making sure those we send into harm's way have the best possible chance of returning to enjoy those liberties we call upon them to defend."

George London, co-pilot on T-1's first flight, also talked about that special team.

"When we made that first flight Sept. 15, 20 years ago, there was a shining light. That light was a C-17 taking off from Long Beach," he said.

And the power behind that light is the team -- comprised of the C-17 Combined Test Force at Edwards, the C-17 System Program Office, the Air Force, the Army and contractors McDonnell Douglas and Boeing, he said.

Calling the C-17 a national treasure, Ingram said the aircraft is America's airlift capability of choice.

"The Globemaster [since it became operational] has supported every major combat contingency that our nation has been involved in," he said.
C-17s are currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan bringing needed supplies to the war fighter and airlifting wounded warriors to medical facilities and safety. The C-17 fleet also supports those who respond to disasters around the world.

During the last two decades, the workhorse transport started fast and shows no sign of slowing.

"Ten years in, the Air Force was operating a fleet of 81. Today seven countries and NATO operate 236 C-17s; 204 of those are employed by the Air Force," he said.

He said in the past 10 years the fleet of C-17s has flown 500,000 sorties, delivered more than 4.5 million passengers and transported just over 3 million tons of cargo to locations around the world.

"It took 15 years for the fleet to achieve its first million flight hours , but only five more years for it to achieve its second million. Last year the U.S. C-17 fleet flew an average of 599 flight hours a day," Janney said.

The C-17 continues to prove itself. Just last month it set a new airdrop world record with the delivery of an 85,000-pound Aries rocket test article.

When considering what the aircraft requires to meet the nation's challenges in the future, Janney said he's confident the C-17 team will meet those challenges and continue to advance this incredible weapon system.