“Airlift Wing of Choice”
Joint Base Charleston is a joint-use airfield. The military share the two runways of the airfield with Charleston International Airport. When landing at the airport, it’s hard to miss the enormous ramp along the main runway, where the 437th Airlift Wing and its Associate Reserve Wing, the 315th, park their C-17 Globemaster IIIs. Their vision is “Airlift wing of choice”.
The 437th Airlift Wing provides a significant portion of Air Mobility Command’s Global Reach airlift capability. The precise, flexible and responsive air mobility capability provided by the wing, backs U.S. resolve and promotes worldwide stability. Mission of the wing: worldwide airlift, tactical airdrop, and aeromedical evacuation support.
Airlift Wing of choice
Charleston was the first base to receive the C-17. Colonel Jimmy Canlas, Vice Commander 437th AW told Recce Reports: “We are very proud of that heritage. Our vision statement says ‘airlift wing of choice’. For us that’s more of an inspiration, not a proclamation. That’s why we are inspired every day. Internally we want people to believe in that mission, in a way that people who work here at Charleston, sense that they are part of something special. But also externally, to our partners out there, we prove our abilities. So, if there is a tough mission that needs to be done, we hope Charleston is their wing of choice. We are a 100% confident we’ll get the job done!”

Our full report on the 437th/315th AW’s was published in the November 2015 issue of Combat Aircraft Monthly and in the December 2015 issue of Take-Off Magazine.