Air Mobility Command wants to make a “homogenous” fleet of C-17 aircraft across its total force to have consistent block capabilities by coordinating upgrades, AMC Commander Gen. Carlton Everhart said Sept. 16 at ASC15. The command has made “great progress” in upgrading its C-17 fleet so far, and it expects to push the C-17 fleet beyond its original lifespan of 30,000 flight hours to a new goal of 42,000 hours. At the same time, Everhart said he is worried about pushing the C-17s too far. He said he plans to mitigate that by moving more cargo into civilian fleets. The Air Force does not currently plan to have a service life extension program for the C-17 fleet, but that could change depending on future operational needs, he said.
Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost—a trailblazer and one of the first 10 women to reach a four-star rank across the U.S. military—retired and passed control of U.S. Transportation Command to Air Force Gen. Randall Reed on Oct. 4, finishing an eventful tenure at TRANSCOM.