Airmen aboard C-17 Globemaster IIIs from Hickam AFB transported dolphins from the Navy Marine Mammals Program in San Diego, Calif., to Noumea, New Caledonia, Nov. 8 to locate and dispose of more than 200 contact mines that were leftover from World War II.

The active-duty and Reserve C-17 aircrew from Hickam AFB helped deliver the dolphins for Lagoon Minex 2009, a humanitarian project in which U.S. forces along with French, Australian and New Zealand military will work together Nov. 9 to 20 to locate and dispose of the World War II mines.

The dolphins are integral to the exercise because of their biological sonar capabilities. They are used for underwater surveillance and mine detection, location, marking and recovery.

The organizers of the exercise couldn’t afford to transport the animals to New Caledonia. Assistance arrived with the cooperation of a C-17 crew from the 535th Airlift Squadron here and a Reserve C-17 crew from the 452nd Air Mobility Wing from March Air Reserve Base, Calif. Through current projects and training missions, a plan was put into action to get the dolphins moved.

The nine-person crew from Hickam AFB said they were happy to do their part in this worthwhile exercise.

Airmen from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., will take the mammals back to San Diego at the end of the exercise.

Dolphins are not the typical cargo for a C-17.

Scotland Yard said the Erwin Vermont Washington, 51, was taken off the plane just before take-off Monday, Washington, of Lakewood Colorado, has been released on bail.

United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy sait that “the pilot has been removed from service” during an investigation.

“United’s alcohol policy is among the strictest in the industry, and we have no tolerance for violation of this well-established policy,” she said.

Approximately nine people have gone missing after a US Coast Guard plane and a Marine chopper collided around California’s Pacific Ocean coastline.

The mid-air collision took place around the eastern sea line of San Clemente Island off the coast of Southern California, late on Thursday. A Coast Guard C-130 surveillance-air hauler reportedly smashed into an AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter belonging to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is stationed at the Marine Corps Base Camp, Pendleton.

A US Federal Aviation Administration official confirmed the crash and noted that another pilot near the crash site reported having observed a ‘fireball’ at the time.

The US Navy and Coast Guard have dispatched search and rescue missions to the suspected collision zone for the seven-crew members of the four-engine C-130 Hercules and the chopper’s two-member squad.

There has been no further information on the cause of the accident so far.

The Ospreys, in the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, flew to Camp Bastion. It was the first unit to bring the Ospreys into Afshanistan, according to a statement from the Navy. There are more than 2,200 Marines and Sailors in the unit.

The Ospreys, which formed the bulk of VMM-263 (Reinforced) with the 22nd MEU will join Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 as part of MEB-Afghanistan’s aviation combat element, Marine Aircraft Group 40, according to the Marine Corps.

The Osprey has overcome controversy after a history of crashes. Thirty Marines and civillians died during its development.

Two of the first six aircraft crashed in 1989 during testing. A July 1992 accident during a landing at Quantico Marine Corps Air Station killed seven people.

USS New York (LPD 21), the fifth San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, built with steel salvaged from the World Trade Center, was commissioned in a ceremony held in the shadow of the city for which it is named.

The ship is named New York in honor of the state and the courage and heroism of New Yorkers during and after the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, a former New York senator, was the keynote speaker for the ceremony.

“This ship carries with it searing memories of September 11,” said Clinton. “Lives cut short, families ripped apart, a nation attacked. And in that steel, burned but unbroken, lives the spirit we saw on 9/11 and the days that followed, the bravery of the rescuers, the resolve of the survivors, the compassion of this city, the patriotism of this great country.”

Thousands of veterans and invited guests witnessed the ceremony, which was also broadcast live in Times Square and on the Navy.mil website. The commissioning was the culmination of a week-long celebration of the Navy and Marine Corps team and the ship in New York City.

New York is an amphibious transport dock designed to transport Marines and their equipment. It will be used to support the nation’s maritime strategy, to include humanitarian assistance and maritime security operations. The ship’s homeport will be in Norfolk, Va.

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The Air Force will field 38 C-27Js, operated by the Air National Guard. Two are currently going through qualification and operational testing.

According to Air Force officials, the C-27J is an “extremely rugged” aircraft, designed for austere environments. And, although it has yet to complete its testing, they say it should thrive in the “dirt”.

“Think if the C-27J as a ‘mini-Herc‘ — it looks like and acts like a C-130, but it is about half the size,” Col. Capone said. “This smaller size brings efficiency of scale to the Air Force’s portfolio of airlifters.”

AMC officials say, work to make the C-27J capable of fully supporting the Army’s needs in the US Central Command area of responsibility is also continuously progressing.

Air Force officials say there is still a lot to do as more and more C-27s come into the inventory.

“A concept like this will take time and effort, but most importantly it will also require feedback from the forces,” Colonel Fowler said.

AMC and Air Force officials plan to continuously review and update the C-27J using input from field commanders until it is incorporated into joint doctrine.

Greg Combet, Acting Minister for Defence, announced yesterday the completion of the deeper maintenance contract for the Air Force F-111 fleet.

“Since the F-111 was introduced it has flown over 160,000 hours. To help it achieve this Air Force and Defence Industry collectively completed over 300 routine deeper maintenance servicings that have included removal of wings, engines, undercarriage and other major components for overhaul or replacement. The maintenance systems introduced with the F-111 aircraft have been a mainstay of Defence and industry’s high-tech support capabilities for well over 35 years,” said Mr Combet.

“Aircraft A8-135, which was handed back to 82 Wing today, was the final F-111 to undergo deeper maintenance servicing and the completion of this program will ensure that the F-111 fleet remains fully capable until the Super Hornets come on-line.”

“Through its involvement with the F-111, Boeing has made a significant contribution to the aircraft’s legacy.”

A ceremony was held at RAAF Amberley to mark the completion of the contract.

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – After more than 30 years of flying for the Air Force, the last C-130E Hercules aircraft here set forth destined for a new life.

This aircraft is in addition to the five C-130Es Poland is authorized to receive from the United States in an effort to help build up Poland’s airlift capability sooner and allow them to support their forces in Afghanistan.

The departure of the aircraft is also part of the transition to the new, more capable and cost effective C-130J aircraft, of which Ramstein will have 14. Part of the upgrade includes a new system onboard the aircraft.

“The C-130J is all computerized and automated,” said Master Sgt. Jay Mitchell, 37th Airlift Squadron flight engineer. “So, they’ve done away with the flight engineer and navigator positions.”

But, this is no loss for navigators and flight engineers as it opens up other opportunities. For example, Sergeant Mitchell will be heading to Hurlburt Field, Fla., to fly on the AC-130 Gunships.

“It’s a day in history we will never forget,” Sergeant Mitchell said. “This is an awesome aircraft. The C-130 has always been the workhorse of the Air Force and will continue that way with the J-model, but to see the last C-130E leaving here … we’re sad to see it go.”

Aircraft 1299 is the second C-130E to go to the Polish Air Force, as the first was delivered in March under a separate program and has flown more than 100 sorties since then.

Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi received a call at approximately 4:40 p.m. with a report of something spotted in the water.

The Coast Guard immediately launched an HH-65C Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Corpus Christi and dispatched a 25-foot Response Boat-Small from Coast Guard Station Port Aransas to the reported position, 11 miles northeast of Port Aransas, Texas.

The body of the deceased pilot was recovered and transported to Coast Guard Station Port Aransas to await Navy personnel. The identity has been confirmed.

The search continues for the second pilot.

Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi received a call Oct. 28 from the Navy Corpus Christi base tower reporting that an air traffic controller had lost communication with a T-34 training aircraft at approximately 3:20 p.m.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says Flight 1232 took off from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport around 8:40 am Monday on its way to Salt Lake City.

He says the MD-90 hit one or more birds “a considerable distance” from the airport, and the pilot declared an emergency. The plane landed at Sky Harbor at 9:01 am.

Delta Spokesman Anthony Black says 127 passengers and five crew members were aboard. No injuries were reported.

Gregor says bird strikes happen daily and pilots are trained to deal with them.

In January, a US Airways flight crash-landed in the Hudson River after hitting a flock of birds over New York. All 155 people on board were pulled to safety.