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AFRC vice commander delivers new C-17 to Joint Base Charleston

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Bill Walsh
  • 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Joint Base Charleston, S.C. --  Major General Martin Mazick, Air Force Reserve Vice Commander, delivered the newest Air Force aircraft to Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina on Saturday presenting the key to the 315th Airlift Wing Commander, Col. Steve Chapman. The general along with a crew from the 300th Airlift Squadron took delivery of the 204th C-17 at Boeing Aircraft in Long Beach, California before flying it to South Carolina where it will become the 57th Globemaster based at Joint Base Charleston.

"This is an amazing airplane and a critical mobility asset for our country as we go forward," said Major General Mazick has he and copilot Major Mark LaVerne flew the jet to its new home. "Global mobility is our business and no one does it better than the people who fly these jets."

Before leaving the Boeing aircraft plant in Long Beach where the C-17 was made, Major General Mazick and the crew toured the facility and thanked the hundreds of workers who produce the planes.

"Thank you for all you do," said Capt. Forest Aspinwall of the 300th Airlift Squadron as he talked with a plant worker putting together the wings of C-17 under construction. "This is an amazing airplane you're building."

The C-17 provides rapid global mobility for the United States and can carry over 250 thousand pounds of cargo anywhere in the world. Each aircraft has 29,132 parts, 1.3 million fasteners and 120 miles of cable. The planes can land and take off on short fields and provides a tactical advantage in airlift capability.

"It takes us 213 days to produce one C-17," said Brain Casey who is a supervisor at the plant. "After the building process is complete, it takes 8 days to paint the aircraft then 23 days on the ramp before the first flight to check out all systems."

Major General Mazick was greeted planeside by members of Joint Base Charleston including Col. Martha Meeker, commander of the 628th Air Base Wing and Col. John Wood, commander of the 437th Airlift Wing as he taxied the new jet to its parking spot.

In addition to delivering the new airlifter, this flight was doubly special for Major General Mazick because it was his last flight as an Air Force pilot before he retires later this year. "This is my last flight and is very special for me," said the general as he spoke with members of the media on hand for the arrival ceremony. "When they called me a few months ago and asked if I would deliver this new jet, I said absolutely."

Joint Base Charleston plays a critical role in Air Force operations around the world with thousands of active duty, reserve and civilian personnel.

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