Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      A U.S. Army airborne jumpmaster from the 4th Brigade 25th Infantry division signals "one minute" to drop while he looks out of the open troop door on a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III from Joint Base Charleston, S.C., July 12, 2017 waiting to airdrop in support of Exercise Talisman Saber 2017. The purpose of TS17 is to improve U.S.-Australian combat readiness, increase interoperability, maximize combined training opportunities and conduct maritime prepositioning and logistics operations in the Pacific. TS17 also demonstrates U.S. commitment to its key ally and the overarching security framework in the Indo Asian Pacific region.US, coalition partners demonstrate global defense capabilities
                        
                        
                        An Army airborne jumpmaster from the 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, signals "one minute" to drop while he looks out of the open troop door on a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III from Joint Base Charleston, S.C., July 12, 2017 waiting to airdrop in support of Exercise Talisman Saber 2017. The purpose of TS17 is to improve U.S.-Australian combat readiness, increase interoperability, maximize combined training opportunities and conduct maritime prepositioning and logistics operations in the Pacific. TS17 also demonstrates U.S. commitment to its key ally and the overarching security framework in the Indo Asian Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Gregory Brook)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        A Canadian paratrooper from Princess Patricia’s Light Canadian Infantry jumps out of the open troop door on a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III from Joint Base Charleston, S.C., July 12, 2017 in support of Exercise Talisman Saber 2017. The purpose of TS17 is to improve U.S.-Australian combat readiness, increase interoperability, maximize combined training opportunities and conduct maritime prepositioning and logistics operations in the Pacific. TS17 also demonstrates U.S. commitment to its key ally and the overarching security framework in the Indo Asian Pacific region.US, coalition partners demonstrate global defense capabilities
                        
                        
                        A Canadian paratrooper from Princess Patricia’s Light Canadian Infantry jumps out of the open troop door on a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III from Joint Base Charleston, S.C., July 12, 2017 in support of Exercise Talisman Saber 2017. The purpose of TS17 is to improve U.S.-Australian combat readiness, increase interoperability, maximize combined training opportunities and conduct maritime prepositioning and logistics operations in the Pacific. TS17 also demonstrates U.S. commitment to its key ally and the overarching security framework in the Indo Asian Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Gregory Brook)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III from Joint Base Charleston, S.C., sits on the ramp at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska prior to takeoff July 12, 2017 to participate in and provide airlift support for Exercise Talisman Saber 2017. The purpose of TS17 is to improve U.S.-Australian combat readiness, increase interoperability, maximize combined training opportunities and conduct maritime prepositioning and logistics operations in the Pacific. TS17 also demonstrates U.S. commitment to its key ally and the overarching security framework in the Indo Asian Pacific region.US, coalition partners demonstrate global defense capabilities
                        
                        
                        A C-17 Globemaster III from Joint Base Charleston, S.C., sits on the ramp at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska prior to takeoff July 12, 2017 to participate in and provide airlift support for Exercise Talisman Saber 2017. The purpose of TS17 is to improve U.S.-Australian combat readiness, increase interoperability, maximize combined training opportunities and conduct maritime prepositioning and logistics operations in the Pacific. TS17 also demonstrates U.S. commitment to its key ally and the overarching security framework in the Indo Asian Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Gregory Brook)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Maj. Timothy Birt and Capt. Greg Sewell, U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III pilots from the 15th Airlift Squadron, 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., conduct pre-flight checks on the ramp at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska prior to takeoff July 12, 2017 to participate in and provide airlift support for Exercise Talisman Saber 2017. The purpose of TS17 is to improve U.S.-Australian combat readiness, increase interoperability, maximize combined training opportunities and conduct maritime prepositioning and logistics operations in the Pacific. TS17 also demonstrates U.S. commitment to its key ally and the overarching security framework in the Indo Asian Pacific region.US, coalition partners demonstrate global defense capabilities
                        
                        
                        Maj. Timothy Birt and Capt. Greg Sewell, C-17 Globemaster III pilots from the 15th Airlift Squadron, 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., conduct pre-flight checks on the ramp at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska prior to takeoff July 12, 2017 to participate in and provide airlift support for Exercise Talisman Saber 2017. The purpose of TS17 is to improve U.S.-Australian combat readiness, increase interoperability, maximize combined training opportunities and conduct maritime prepositioning and logistics operations in the Pacific. TS17 also demonstrates U.S. commitment to its key ally and the overarching security framework in the Indo Asian Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Gregory Brook)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

US, coalition partners demonstrate global defense capabilitiesPublished July 17, 2017
                    
                    By 1st Lt. Allison Egan
                    
                    
                    Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs
            **ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE BASE RICHMOND, Australia (AFNS) – --**Four U.S. Air Force and one Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster IIIs loaded with more than 300 American and Canadian paratroopers took off from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, to Shoalwater Bay, Australia, for biennial training exercise, Talisman Saber July 13, 2017.Every two years, U.S. and Australian military forces conduct a month-long exercise to enhance global readiness in a realistic training environment. This year’s exercise involves over 33,000 troops, 21 ships and more than 200 joint aircraft. The exercise prepares the U.S. and its coalition partners for rapid assistance and delivery of personnel and equipment. Both countries’ mobility forces make the training possible. The aerial refueling and transport of Soldiers demonstrates both countries’ abilities to deliver Army paratroopers to any location at any time.“What we’re doing with our C-17s in Talisman Saber is practicing for joint forcible entry operations,” said Capt. Chris Mahan, the lead C-17 planner for Talisman Saber 2017, and the 15th Airlift Squadron’s weapons officer and evaluator pilot. “What makes the C-17 so valuable in a mission like this is the fact it’s diverse. It is air refuelable, airdrop capable and has the ability to fly great distances.”That distance spanned the length of the planet’s biggest ocean. Each Globemaster travelled more than 8,000 miles to reach Australia.“The C-17 is one of the few aircraft that has a perfect balance of strategic and tactical airlift capabilities. It allows our crews to execute a direct delivery from Alaska all the way to Australia and demonstrates the capabilities this aircraft has when we’re enabled by our KC-10 and KC-135s refuelers in order to employ combat power,” said Mahan.The aerial refueling process demonstrates the importance and necessity of partnership in the realm of global mobility. When conducting a mid-air refueling, precision and confidence are key to the C-17’s ability to travel great distances.Flying the length of the largest ocean on Earth requires a consistent supply of fuel. Each C-17 had to refuel twice during the 17-hour flight to Shoalwater Bay, making support from KC-10 Extender and KC-135 Stratotanker air refuelers vital. The C-17s can’t make the flight without that support.“What’s very important about an air refueling is that we are a smaller part in a bigger puzzle,” said Col. Jimmy Canlas, the 437th Airlift Wing commander and Talisman Saber mission commander. “We couldn’t accomplish this mission without air refueling. It’s very challenging because unlike a training environment, we are receiving a large load of gas, 65,000 to 80,000 pounds of gas and the aircraft reacts differently when its heavy weight versus light weight training scenarios.”The tankers were pre-positioned at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and Wake Island, a small atoll in the western Pacific Ocean, allowing the C-17s to refuel exactly when needed. Altogether, the tankers offloaded more than 700,000 pounds of fuel."This is what the KC-10 was made to do," said Lt. Col. Stew Welch, the 9th Air Refueling Squadron commander and the Ultimate Reach tanker mission commander. "Getting a large package of C-17s with their Army payload from one continent to another is not going to happen without air refueling. This is the bread and butter of what we do in the KC-10 world and it is a privilege to do it (for Talisman Saber)."Working together is important both mid-air and on the ground. With the C-17s and paratroopers kick-starting exercise Talisman Saber, service members of all branches and nationalities come together to maintain regional security, peace and stability.“It’s very important for us as Airmen to participate in something like this because it opens up the aperture for every Airman who is involved because they realize quickly that it’s not all about the Air Force,” said Canlas. “In fact, we’re a very small part of this whole exercise. It’s us supporting the Army, we’re also supporting the Navy, and we’re also supporting the Marines. We provide the transportation to execute strategic insertion.”Once the C-17s receive fuel, the paratroopers are ready for their drop. With 58 jumps under his belt, jumpmaster and Army 1st Sgt. Bill Ables of Easy Company, 6th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 4/25 Airborne, leads 54 paratroopers in the Ground Force Component of the exercise.“When I’m jumping out of a C-17 I’m primarily going through my first five points of performance, which is getting the six-second count of the way, making sure my parachute is deployed, and focusing on my tasks to get to the ground safely,” said Ables. “The purpose in practicing a jump like this is to prepare myself and my unit for airborne operations in response to any kind of contingency operations we may have to face.”As soon as they hit the ground, their operations begin.“My mission while on the ground during this exercise will be to locate any kind of resupply items and to get those items to designated areas for the ground forces and resupply them with water and food,” said Ables.  Also supporting the Army’s Ground Force objectives are Royal Australian Air Force C-17 pilots. Working closely together with the U.S. military is beneficial to both nations involved in the exercise.Flight Lieutenant James Tockuss, the assistant main co-pilot of a RAAF C-17, is responsible for assisting the aircraft captain with fuel planning and the airdrop exercise in Shoalwater Bay. For Tockuss, working with the U.S. Air Force for the first time is instructive.“It’s been really interesting to see how the U.S. Air Force works as an organization, especially the differences between the U.S. and us back in Australia,” said Tockuss. “I look forward to learning how the U.S. Air Force conducts their operations and seeing what lessons the Australians can learn from working with them.”By conducting planning briefs, air refuelings and airdrops together with coalition partners, the U.S. and its allies strengthen their military relationships and prepare to provide security around the globe.Exercise participants said the sheer size of the mission and wide range of backgrounds for troops involved add the greatest value to the training.“The greatest thing about Talisman Saber that we don’t get to do very often is we get to work with so many different services, components, major commands and nationalities,” said Mahan. “Complex exercises like Talisman Saber allow us to expose the crews to what joint operations are going to entail when we go into combat with a coalition, so our military forces can know what to expect and what it’s going to look like.”Talisman Saber 2017 



18 AF 



JBER 



Army 



PACAF 



AMC 



C17 



C-17 Globemaster III 



4/25TH Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil