Spirit of the Constitution debuts at Dover Air Force Base

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Nicole Langley
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Dover Air Force Base, Del. --  While clouds hung overhead the morning of June 4, rain and dreary weather didn't dampen the spirits of those present to welcome Dover Air Force Base's first C-17 Globemaster III, Spirit of the Constitution, at a formal ceremony in Building 706.

The C-17 was picked up by Team Dover's crew from Boeing's Long Beach, Calif., production facility May 31 and flown to McGuire AFB, N.J. where it remained through the weekend.

Monday, the crew, along with Gen. Duncan McNabb, Air Mobility Command commander and aircraft delivery official, flew the jet to its new home.

Although weather prevented some of the activities planned for the ceremony, during his opening remarks, Col. Steven Harrison, 436th AW commander, expressed his excitement at the aircraft's much-anticipated arrival - despite the day's weather.

"I don't care what the weatherman says, it's a beautiful day here at Dover Air Force Base and a beautiful day for the U. S. Air Force!" he said.

After landing, Dover AFB, Boeing and U.S. legislative officials boarded the aircraft for its final taxi to the ceremony location.

The aircraft made its debut alongside one of the base's mighty C-5s and a restored C-124 Globemaster II.

With the sounds of the U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band's brass quintet playing in the background, the official party descended the plane and made their way down a red carpet into the hangar where the ceremony was located.

The first of 13 C-17s to arrive at Dover AFB, Spirit of the Constitution was named in honor of the base's host state, Delaware, and its position as the first of the 13 original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

The aircraft joins the base's existing C-5 fleet in providing worldwide movement of people and cargo.

"It's going to be an unstoppable team," said Colonel Harrison, regarding the combined airlift capabilities of the base's two aircraft types.

With the addition of the C-17, able to perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions and land on runways as short as 3,500 feet, Dover AFB now hosts an impressive multi-aircraft fleet.

With the ability to move anything, anywhere in the world, General McNabb emphasized how Dover AFB truly exemplifies global reach.

"Team Dover - one of the true, critical foundation locations in all of Air Mobility Command, said the general. "Many of the airlift missions start and end right here."
A highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the aircraft's 'key' by Ronald Marcotte, Boeing vice president and general manager for global mobility systems and integrated defense systems to General McNabb.

The symbolic transfer of the key continued on to Colonel Harrison, who passed the key to Staff Sgt. Lance Moon, 736th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and crew chief to the Spirit of the Constitution, which represented the responsibility he has for the care of the base's first C-17.

Since its entry into the U.S. Air Force inventory in 1993, the C-17 has accumulated more than 1.2 million flight hours in numerous operations and humanitarian relief efforts worldwide.

In recent years, the aircraft has proven itself in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The C-17 has literally come of age during this Global War on Terrorism," said General McNabb.

At the ceremony's conclusion, those in attendance had the opportunity to tour the C-17, experience for themselves the 'new-plane smell,' the magnitude of the base's newest airlifter and have a better understanding of what General McNabb meant when he spoke about U.S. Air Force aircraft during the ceremony.

"When the aircraft lands, it doesn't just represent America, it is America."