The Air Force Launched 15 Percent of Its C-17 Fleet in a Recent Surge Exercise

With little advance notice, the 437th Airlift Wing directed its airmen to get 24 C-17s - 15% of the USAF fleet - in the air for a two-day maximum effort exercise early this month. The reality of 24 C-17s taking off in 16 minutes was meant to send a message about an Air Force seen as struggling.