Members of Air Force Reserve Command’s 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, last week celebrated the wing’s transition to the C-17 transport during a ceremony. The base, which previously operated C-5As, is the latest Reserve unit to make the change. “The C-17 continues to be the backbone of the US Air Force’s airlift capability; the aircraft have successfully completed countless military and humanitarian missions during their years of service,” said Boeing C-17 program manager Bob Ciesla in a company release. “We know that the men and women who serve at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base can count on their C-17s to continue to perform for many years to come.” The base has received five of its nine C-17s. The remaining four are slated to arrive by the end of Fiscal 2012, according to Boeing.
A new report by the Defense Department’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation found that Texas and Virginia are America’s top recipients of defense spending, some $83 billion and $64.3 billion, respectively. Texas and California top the spending categories for Air Force contracts and personnel, some $17 billion and $15…