Senate may add 12 C-17's to budget.

[SOWT]

MM11C should be a happy camper with this one.

Senators push for 12 more C-17 cargo planes

By William Matthews - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Aug 29, 2009 8:18:38 EDT

The Pentagon says it has enough C-17 cargo planes, and the House and Senate Armed Services committees agree. But 18 senators have launched a campaign to add 12 Globemasters to the 2010 defense appropriations bill.

The planes would cost about $2.7 billion.

Senators led by Christopher Dodd, D-Conn.; Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.; and Christopher Bond, R-Mo., want to boost the fleet to 225, mainly to preserve jobs.

“We are concerned that without additional funding, our aerospace engineering, design and manufacturing base will atrophy, putting at risk our competitiveness on the global market, our ability to address future airlift requirements,” the senators wrote in a letter to Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

They also said that with wars underway in Iraq and Afghanistan, “we do not see airlift needs abating anytime soon.”


http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/20...e_c17s_082909/

[Mortarman11c]

The original request for C-17s waaaaaaay back in the day was 242. So if you ask me, we're still short a couple of squadrons. I wish like hell Pope would get them. I'd be there like stink on shit.....

[SOWT]

Funny, they AF keeps saying they will eliminate a C-5 Squadron if they get extra C-17's. They could eliminate all the Reserve/Guard C-5's and replace with C-17's. We'd see a huge increase in readiness.

[MI~intheSky]

gotta say hate jumpin out of thrn but a great ride getting to the fight wr need morew

[hit_it]

got to agree with MI. I hate taking them fucking C-130's in and out of theater. It always seems like I get fucked and handed a slip saying I'm riding CROME 30 or some bullshit.

I wish we had more myself.

[HDParatrooper78]

But who could miss the fun of doing a red light black out run over Baghdad landing at Balad or BIAP in a 130? Thats half the fun right there LOL. Never got a chance to JM out of a 17 though.

[VoTrooper99]

gotta say hate jumpin out of thrn but a great ride getting to the fight wr need morew

How do you hate jumping a C-17??? It's the Cadillac of rides!

[ABN MP]

How do you hate jumping a C-17??? It's the Cadillac of rides!

I agree with Vo. Awesome jumps from a C-17.

[Mortarman11c]

got to agree with MI. I hate taking them fucking C-130's in and out of theater. It always seems like I get fucked and handed a slip saying I'm riding CROME 30 or some bullshit.

I wish we had more myself.

Yeah fuck a CHROME....look for the REACH Callsign and you got a 17 comin' in.....but we usually do the Ali double shuttles

And besides, we (the C-17s) were in Balad, and Baghdad afore the four fan trash cans.....

We do have to let junior varsity play from time to time.

[SOWT]

Yeah fuck a CHROME....look for the REACHAROUND Callsign and you got a 17 comin' in.....but we usually do the Ali double shuttles

And besides, we (the C-17s) were in Balad, and Baghdad afore the four fan trash cans.....

We do have to let junior varsity play from time to time.

Fixed it for ya.

[MI~intheSky]

for one i dont weigh much so as soon as i exit i am getting jet blasted to hell and my risers are always twisted out of 17's never a twist on a 130 or a CASA

[SOWT]

From today's AFA newsletter:

Fighting Tooth and Nail: Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) says he is "fighting tooth and nail to make sure that enough C-17s are produced, and that Stewart [ANG, N.Y.] gets its fair share," reports the Times Herald-Record. A group of Senators sent a letter recently to the Appropriations Committee, urging its leaders to support buying 12 additional new C-17s. The Obama Administration wanted to end production at 205, but Congress already upped the number to 213. Schumer acknowledged that he was not among the original signers of the Aug. 19 missive, but he has since added his name. The New York Congressional delegation already has expressed concern that Stewart may not get the C-17s USAF had anticipated sending there to replace its old C-5As. Schumer told the newspaper that buying additional C-17s and directing some to Stewart is "critical" because "thousands of people [are] dependent on the base for their livelihood."

I support additional C-17's (seeing the Guard/Reserve C-5's don't have all the upgrades). But it should be about protecting our country, not providing jobs to upstate NY.

[Mortarman11c]

Hell Stewart should have enough drug money lying around from them hauls they did in from Germany.........

Just sayin'!