November 24 -- Boeing announced that the NATO Airlift Management Agency general manager, on behalf of the Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) nations, has signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance with the U.S. government for the acquisition of two Boeing C-17 Globemaster III long-range cargo jets. The agreement follows NATO's Oct. 1 announcement that the 12 SAC nations had formally agreed to move forward with the acquisition of C-17s.
November 18 -- Boeing delivered the U.S. Air Force's 180th C-17 Globemaster III, the 51st for Charleston AFB. Brigadier General Bradley R. Pray, Deputy Director of Air, Space and Information Operations at Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, flew the plane to its new home in South Carolina.
November 5 -- Boeing delivers the thirteenth C-17 Globemaster III to Travis AFB, completing the squadron there. Gen. Arthur J. Lichte, commander, U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command, accepted delivery of the Air Force's 179th C-17 and piloted the 'Spirit of Travis' to Travis.
October 8 -- Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, received its 13th C-17 Globemaster III airlifter during a ceremony at Boeing's Long Beach production facility. Named "The Spirit of Delaware," the advanced airlifter was piloted to Dover AFB by Gen. Arthur Lichte, commander, U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB.
October 1 -- Boeing announced that an international consortium of 10 NATO members, joined by Partnership for Peace nations Sweden and Finland, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Sept. 24 to acquire three Boeing C-17 Globemaster III long-range cargo jets. The agreement sets the stage for NATO's first major defense purchase in 30 years.
September 24 -- A House-Senate conference committee passed a $487.7 billion defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 2009. The bill authorizes the U.S. Air Force to spend $2.1 billion for six C-17s, but did not include funding.
September 11 -- Brigadier General Barbara J. Faulkenberry, deputy director, Strategic Plans, Requirements & Programs, Air Mobility Command, accepted delivery of the U.S. Air Force's 177th C-17 Globemaster III during a ceremony at Boeing's Long Beach production facility. The advanced airlifter is now assigned to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware.
August 19 -- Four-star General Victor E. Renuart, Jr., commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, accepted delivery of the U.S. Air Force's 176th C-17 Globemaster III during a ceremony at Boeing's Long Beach production facility. The advanced airlifter has been assigned to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware.
August 13-14 -- Two U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemasters departed Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and landed at Tbilisi International Airport , delivering $1 million in humanitarian aid to the people of the Republic of Georgia. The airlifters carried medicine, clothing, sleeping bags, cots and other essential items.
July 25 -- Boeing delivered to the U.S. Air Force its 175th C-17 Globemaster at the company's Long Beach, Calif. assembly facility. Lt. General Ron F. Sams, the Inspector General of the U.S. Air Force, piloted the C-17 to Dover AFB, where it will join a fleet of nine other C-17s.
July 21, 2008 -- Boeing and the government of Qatar signed an agreement for the purchase of the C-17 Globemaster III airlifter to provide new strategic-airlift mobility capabilities for the Qatar Armed Forces (QAF). Qatar will sign a Foreign Military Sales agreement for contractor logistics support with the U.S. Air Force.
July 1 -- Boeing delivered the U.S. Air Force's 174th C-17 during ceremonies at the company's Long Beach, Calif. assembly facility. Assigned to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, it is the ninth of 13 C-17s scheduled to be delivered to Dover.
June 30 -- President Bush signed a fiscal year 2008 supplemental defense spending bill that includes $3.6 billion in funding for an additional 15 C-17 Globemaster III airlifters. The $165 billion bill extends the C-17 production line through August, 2010.