There’s a New Elephant on the Walk

July 7, 2006

The 305th Air Mobility Wing at McGuire AFB, N.J., pulled off an “Elephant Walk” recently, but this one included, for the first time, C-17s mixed with KC-10s in the traditional “nose to tail” surge maneuver. Five C-17s and 11 KC-10s participated in a feat that dates back to World War II when large numbers of bombers lined up on the tarmac for sorties into Europe. Under Strategic Air Command during the Cold War, the term became synonymous with maximum sortie generation by SAC’s bombers and tankers. The 305th AMW historian, Gary Boyd, offers a look back and forward.

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