Photo By Sgt. Daniela Chicas Torres | A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, operated by airmen with 15th Airlift Squadron,...... read more read more
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CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – A 140-ton U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III landed at Camp Davis South, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, for the first time in over 20 years.
The C-17, operated by Airmen with 15th Airlift Squadron, 437th Airlift Wing, 21st Air Force, Air Mobility Command, made its landing alongside Canadian C-130s at Camp Davis South to support United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) parachute operations training, highlighting interoperability between services and countries. Measuring more than half a football field in length, C-17s were originally designed to put heavy equipment and troops into austere airfields similar to Davis South and can typically landon very short runways.
The landing follows an $11 million resurfacing project that took place in 2024 and reopened in 2025, now allowing for C-130, C-17 and F-35 landings which enhances the capability of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing by providing another training area and landing zone.
“Landing a C-17 and C-130s allows for units to have enhanced training by jumping out of different military aircraft,” said Tom Pieratti, range control officer, Range and Training Area Management, Range Control Branch, MCB Camp Lejeune. “Having this capability also allows for ground units to practice fly away missions or to onload/offload larger military equipment in support of operations without having to go to [Marine Corps Air Station] Cherry Point.”
Davis Airfield South serves as a premier, multi-domain training complex capable of hosting every airframe in the Marine Corps inventory and joint heavy-lift assets as large as the Air Force’s C-17 Globemaster III, directly expanding the expeditionary reach of II Marine Expeditionary Force and the Joint Force.
1st Lt. Victoria Bravo, a team leader with Air Traffic Control Company L, Marine Air Control Squadron 2, Marine Corps Air Station New River, participated in the training along with her Marine Air Traffic Control Mobile Team.
The Marine Air Traffic Control Mobile Team is trained and equipped to enable global access and support contingency operations by providing rapid response expeditionary air traffic control, command, control and communications and landing zone assessment in austere and hostile environments for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force and joint arena.
Bravo said that providing air traffic control services and establishing the runway markings required to safely recover the C-17 and C-130 in support of MARSOC’s parachute operations was a valuable training opportunity for her team.
“The new runway improvements at Camp Davis South open significant training opportunities to operate with aircraft that are not organic to the Marine Corps and allow us to integrate with outside agencies,” Bravo said. “Evolutions like this directly validate my team’s readiness as we prepare to execute similar high-tempo operations while at Weapons and Tactic Instructor course 1-27 and ensure we are fully prepared to deliver when supporting real-world missions while deployed with the 26th MEU [Marine Expeditionary Unit].”
Improvements similar to the ones at Camp Davis South are planned for various training areas on MCB Camp Lejeune. Upcoming projects include rifle range modernization, development of a seaport seizure facility and new unmanned aircraft systems and counter-unmanned aircraft system training areas.
| Date Taken: | 09.11.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.11.2026 08:47 |
| Story ID: | 574389 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 37 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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