Maj. Gen. Charles Bolton, 18th Air Force commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Joseph Arce, 18th Air Force command chief, visited the C-5 Formal Training Unit hosted by the 433rd Airlift Wing on March 4, 2026 to see how Reserve Airmen are forging the next generation of C-5M Super Galaxy aircrew.
Carving out time during a visit to serve as the reviewing official for the Basic Military Training graduation ceremony, Bolton and Arce met with instructors and leaders from the 356th Airlift Squadron and 733rd Training Squadron, the two units responsible for the Total Force C-5 training mission.
The visit gave 18th AF leadership a ground-level view of how the FTU leverages the unparalleled experience of its Reserve instructors to overcome unique resource challenges and train the crews that will eventually serve in his own command.
“Getting to see what you all do to help feed the C-5 community and hearing about some of the opportunities Reserve Airmen bring to the table… It was enlightening for me,” Bolton said. “There are challenges in the C-5 community, specifically in this FTU, that we can overcome. It's just going to take all of us doing our part and jumping in to do that.”
Bolton said the visit yielded tangible takeaways for his staff to explore how 18th Air Force can better support the FTU mission, reinforcing the integration between the Reserve and Active components.
The Alamo Wing has been the home of C-5 aircrew training since 2007, shaping a generation of Airmen. This longevity provides deep institutional knowledge and strategic value to the Total Force.
“We were able to showcase the high level of efficiency and acumen our seasoned professionals train students with at the FTU,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Jones, 356th AS commander. “Even with the resource constraints and challenges we face, I think it is crystal clear to our end users that our Reserve Airmen have been, are, and will continue to be, much more than a backup force.”