A US Air Force C-17 from Hickam AFB, Hawaii and one from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, delivered about 226,000 pounds of humanitarian supplies to China on Feb. 8 to help aid people in 19 provinces hard hit by severe winter storms. The C-17 from the 535th Airlift Squadron at Hickam picked up the supplies at Kadena AB, Japan on the island of Okinawa and flew into Shanghai International Airport, turning the cargo over to the People’s Liberation Army.
The United States Air Force is flying less than historic norms and funding for acquisition and readiness is on a path to further hollow out this too small and old force to that is incapable of sustaining an enduring combat air campaign.

