C-17 Training Exercise Launching from Joint Base Charleston Wednesday

Those watching the skies over the Charleston area Wednesday can witness as many as 21 C-17s forming up for a large formation training exercise.  

The pilots and crews will be engaged in a variety of training missions during the flight including airdrops, aerial refueling and low level tactical training.

Regularly scheduled flights in and out of Charleston International Airport should not be affected.

This large formation exercise (LFE) is a total-force effort with aircrews consisting of active-duty Airmen from the 437th Airlift Wing and Reservists from the 315th Airlift Wing. The last LFE was conducted in 2010.

Wednesday’s event will complete over 600 training requirements and will maintain mission readiness. LFEs are an efficient method of training C-17 Globemaster III aircrew, maintenance and support Airmen on a wide variety of requirements in a short period of time.