Farewell West Virginia Galaxies

The West Virginia Air National Guard’s final C-5A Galaxy airlifter flew to the boneyard last week, completing the 167th Airlift Wing’s conversion to the C-17 Globemaster III, unit officials announced. Lockheed Martin saluted the conclusion of a 52-year partnership with the wing, spanning the C-121 Super Constellation, C-130 Hercules, and finally the C-5, during the ceremony marking the transition to a Boeing aircraft. “Today we pause to celebrate a sustained and successful era of iron and partnership, but it is the people who move the iron that are the most important,” said 167th AW Commander Col. Shaun Perkowski during a May 20 ceremony in Martinsburg. The 167th AW is the last of three ANG units to transition to the C-17 as part of the Air Force’s plan to retire its oldest Galaxies and convert the remainder to C-5M Super Galaxy standards. The unit has received seven of its eight C-17s, the last of which is slated to arrive in July, according to the unit.