McChord aircrew gives Hillary Clinton ride on C-17

  • Published
  • By Jake Chappelle
  • 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD FIELD, Wash. --  It was originally planned as a "routine" airlift mission. But a Reserve aircrew, along with active duty members, ended up carrying precious cargo on a C-17 Globemaster III to Tripoli, Libya earlier this week.

Six Reservists from the 446th Airlift Wing, a 62nd Airlift Wing active-duty pilot, and a Raven unit from the 627th Air Base Group were given the task of providing U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton a ride on a C-17.

According to ABC News, this is Clinton's second time aboard a C-17.

"It's an honor to transport someone like that," said Lt. Col. Scott Ryan, 97th Airlift Squadron instructor pilot. "What makes it better is when you're doing it to help foster a relationship with the new transitional government in Libya."

According to the Everett Herald, Clinton visited Libya to pledge millions of dollars in new aid, to include, medical care for wounded fighters and additional assistance to secure weaponry to make sure it wouldn't fall into terrorists' hands.

"Originally, we were tasked with a different mission," said Ryan, a Seattle resident. "The mission changed Friday and we found out we would be transporting (Hillary Clinton) when we got our briefing Sunday."

The crew stopped briefly at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., to pick up supplies before the C-17 embarked to pick up the secretary earlier this week and arrived here Oct. 20.

According to Ryan, a first officer with Delta Airlines, this is the first time a C-17 has landed in Libya since Operation Unified Protector began.