Gen. Paul Hester, head of Pacific Air Forces, formally accepted the command’s first C-17 airlifter, which will be assigned to Hickam AFB, Hawaii. The new transport is named Spirit of Hawai’i-Ke Aloha.” He told a crowd at Boeing’s Long Beach (Calif.) production facility on Feb. 7 that the new airlifter provides “the flexibility and dexterity to excel across the entire spectrum of military operations—it can provide humanitarian aid one day and support full-scale combat the next.” Boeing plans to deliver another seven C-17s to Hickam, where they will be flown and maintained by the active duty 15th Airlift Wing and Air National Guard 154th Wing.
Congress Wants More Insight into Golden Dome Budget
Jan. 21, 2026
Lawmakers told Pentagon leaders they want more details about how the Defense Department plans to spend the $23 billion Congress provide to support Golden Dome in last year’s reconciliation deal.

