Photo By Staff Sgt. Jason Huddleston | Maj. Gen. Kenneth T. Bibb, 18th Air Force commander, and 99th Airlift Squadron aircrew...... read more read more
The 18th Air Force commander delivered the 89th Airlift Wing’s last scheduled C-37B Gulfstream 550 aircraft here Feb. 8, 2022, from Greenville, Texas.
The C-37B and its A-model variant are twin-engine, turbofan aircraft acquired to fill the worldwide special airlift missions for high-ranking government and Department of Defense officials. The aircraft are capable of high-altitude, intercontinental flight, with cruise operations ranging from 41,000 to 51,000 feet.
“The average citizen may not realize it, but our diplomacy starts with you. Your mission to transport our diplomats is the cornerstone of successful foreign relations,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Kenneth T. Bibb, 18th AF commander, during the dedication ceremony. “As we look ahead and innovate for the future, this new aircraft represents our advancing capabilities for tomorrow. Your mission is going to be more crucial than ever as near-peer competitors escalate against us - delivering diplomacy will be critical in saving countless lives.”
The new C-37B’s tail number is #1949, dedicated to the year of the Berlin Airlift, one of the biggest airlift operations in U.S. Air Force history.
During the delivery ceremony, the 89th AW received a video message from United States Air Force retired Col. Gail Halverson, expressing his enthusiasm at the new C-37B being dedicated to the Berlin Airlift.
Halverson became renowned as the “Candy Bomber” for his exploits during the Berlin Airlift, 1948 -1949, where he airdropped candy to German children.
"Thank you for inviting me to share a few words with you as you bring the C-37B to [Joint Base Andrews]. I learned with great excitement that you will name the aircraft, “1949,” after the Berlin Airlift," he said. "In 1948-49, the Berlin Airlift kept two and a half million people fed and alive during the Russian blockade of Berlin. The Berlin Airlift was perhaps the greatest operation performed by the U.S.A.F. and other allies," he said. "In the 99th Airlift Squadron, you understand the importance of Air Mobility and of the critical role the United States Air Force has - to bring goods and people to locations around the world. "
It's the seventh C-37B to be added to the 99th AS, bringing the squadron’s total inventory of C-37 A & B type aircraft to 11, and the fourth C-37B to receive its tail number from a key year and event in U.S. military aviation history. The other historical tail numbers received since 2019 are:
C-37B Tail #18-1947 - Year of the Air Force Birthday
C-37B Tail #18-1942 - Year of Doolittle Raid
C-37B Tail #20-1941 - Year of the Founding of the Tuskegee Airmen
The commander for the 99th Airlift Squadron, the only unit in the Air Force to operate the C-37B notes the aircraft are critical to mission readiness.
“The 89th [AW] has a long history with many different airplanes but the C-37B has been nothing for the 99th AS, but an overwhelming success in terms of its performance and its ability to get the mission done,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Anthony Cannone, 99th AS commander.”
The aircraft joins the 99th AS’s C-37 fleet further enabling approximately 400 missions each year transporting senior civilian and military leaders around the world.
“You look at what the Berlin Airlift did and not a whole lot of people know the full story of the Berlin Airlift. I think that’s kind of cool because that’s also the story of the 89th. Not a whole lot of people know the story of the wing or the missions that we do and we’re not out there advertising them,” Cannone said. “It's cool to be matched up and paired with something that's as amazing as the Berlin Airlift and to have a piece of that in our unit.”
| Date Taken: | 02.08.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 02.10.2022 10:17 |
| Story ID: | 414410 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 2,184 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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Gulfstream C-37
