Hickam likely base for new C-17 squadron
By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer
The Air Force plans to base a squadron of eight C-17 cargo aircraft at Hickam Air Force Base by 2005 or 2006, a move that would redefine Hickam's role in the Pacific and give a new Army fast-strike brigade the airlift it needs.
Associated Press
The latest-generation cargo carriers, which cost about $200 million apiece, flew 43 missions into Camp Rhino in Afghanistan, where their ability to land on short, unimproved runways gave them an edge over the Air Force's larger C-5s.
Air Force C-17 cargo planes based at Hickam would be used to move Army troops, vehicles and equipment at Schofield Barracks to hot spots anywhere in the world.
"We (would) have a strategic airlift capability right here in the Pacific from Hickam that we don't currently have," Pacific Air Forces spokeswoman Senior Master Sgt. Darla Ernst said. "That capability will allow us to meet all theater contingencies whether in the Philippines, or getting the 25th Infantry Division somewhere quickly."
The Army's 25th Infantry Division (Light), based at Schofield Barracks, plans to use the C-17s to move a fast-strike Interim Brigade Combat Team equipped with 380 eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki, who is from Kaua'i, wants to be able to deploy such a force to hot spots around the world in 96 hours.
The Air Force plan, described to members of Congress last month as part of a 15-year outlook on plans for military bases, is just that — a plan. But military officials say privately that the C-17s are all but assured for Hawai'i.
U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye, D-Hawai'i, has previously said he favors basing the transports here. Inouye was out of the country on Friday, but his spokeswoman, Sandi Skousen, said the senator "is keenly aware that stationing C-17s in Hawai'i will significantly strengthen the military's ability to accomplish its objectives, and he is doing all he can to facilitate the stationing of C-17s in Hawai'i."
Members of Congress with air bases in their districts have lobbied vigorously for the cargo carriers.
"No one is going to turn down having a squadron of C-17s at their beck and call," said retired Army Col. Dan Smith, chief of research for the Center for Defense Information in Washington, D.C. "Putting a squadron at Hickam would give the Pacific Command commander an ace in the hole for a least partial satisfaction of his airlift requirements."
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Boeing was contracted to deliver 120 of the four-engine aircraft to the Air Force by 2004, and plans call for at least 60 more to be built in the next six years.
Hickam personnel load a Humvee onto a C-17 for transport to Darwin, Australia. The Boeing C-17 can haul cargo, drop 102 paratroopers and take off and land on runways as short as 3,000 feet.
The recent decision to base a squadron of eight C-17s at March Air Reserve Base in California is expected to mean 223 new jobs and $50 million in improvements there. The aircraft are expected to arrive in 2004.
The Hickam-based squadron would involve the Hawai'i Air National Guard as an "associate" unit, meaning either the Guard or Air Force Reserve would own the aircraft and active-duty flight crews would be attached, or an active-duty unit would own the aircraft, with Guard or Reserve units attached.
That arrangement is expected to be worked out soon. Whether Air Guard personnel provide maintenance also must be determined. At most, the basing plan could mean the construction of new administrative office space and housing. At the least, it will mean several new hangars for Hickam.
"We're excited about the possibility of having this capability in PACAF, and we really see this plan as a good starting point to work with Congress to meet mobility needs out here in the Pacific," Ernst said.
Adm. Dennis Blair, the former commander in chief of Pacific Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee in March that the command is "beginning to face regular shortages of airlift and aerial tankage."
The 15th Air Base Wing provides maintenance and refueling services at Hickam, known as "America's Bridge Across the Pacific."
Meanwhile, the Hawai'i Air National Guard has most of the aircraft at Hickam; the Guard's 154th Wing includes 18 F-15 fighters, nine KC-135 Stratotankers and five C-130 cargo planes.
But the C-130 Hercules is more of a tactical aircraft, capable of operating from dirt strips and dropping troops and equipment into hostile areas.
One of the 19-ton "Stryker" vehicles the Army expects to use as part of its Interim Brigade Combat Teams will fit on a C-130; a C-17 can carry two, and a C-5 can carry four.
The Boeing C-17, which uses the same jet engines as a 757, has a payload capacity of 170,900 pounds and can haul cargo, drop 102 paratroopers, and take off and land on runways as short as 3,000 feet.
Most cargo on a C-130 is put on a pallet and placed inside the aircraft. With a C-17, "you can drive things in," Ernst said.
C-17s flew 30 missions to deliver Apache helicopters used in Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan, flew into Kandahar, and delivered 1,450 tons of graders and bulldozers to Camp Rhino.
Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5459.
