[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 134 (Thursday, August 10, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S12314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  U.S. AIR FORCE AIR MOBILITY COMMAND

 Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate the 
Secretary, the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force and the officers, 
men and women of the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command for 
their performance during the recently concluded reliability, 
maintainability, and availability evaluation of the C-17 Globemaster 
III. This aircraft, though controversial at the start has more than 
proven itself under intense scrutiny by the USAF testers, but most 
importantly it has proven itself to the men and women who load it, fly 
it, and maintain it.
  During the RM&A evaluation, the C-17 and their crews transported 
5,500 tons of Air Force and Army equipment, airdropped nearly 770,000 
pounds, including Sheridan tanks and accommodated over 3,000 
paratroopers of the 82d Airborne from Fort Bragg, NC and I send my 
congratulations to them as well. The C-17 flew more than 2,250 flight 
hours and 500 sorties with a 99-percent launch reliability rate.
  We look for jointness in many of our procurements, the C-17 was built 
with this in mind. Its load capacity has been designed to carry 
Patriots, helicopters, humvees, main battle tanks, multiple launcher 
rocket systems and the Army's huge communications vans. These items can 
not only be transported but driven on and driven off of the aircraft * 
* * and in an austere environment. It can take the mission essential 
equipment to where the troops need it. It truly can carry the fight to 
the enemy * * *wherever he is.
  And so Mr. President, I hope this puts to rest those critics of the 
C-17 who look to less flexible, limited commercial freight haulers to 
support the combat requirements of this Nation's military personnel. 
Again, I pass my congratulations and ``a job well done'' to all those 
involved in the C-17 program.


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