U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster IIIs: Winter Military Exercises in Alaska

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Exercise Palmetto Reach is a high-intensity combat readiness exercise focused on the rapid employment of the C-17 Globemaster III. While primarily led by the 437th Airlift Wing out of Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, its 2026 iteration featured significant operations across Alaska in late January. While the exercise spanned multiple regions—including the Indo-Pacific (Guam, Palau, and Saipan)—a critical component took place in the "austere, cold-weather environment" of Alaska.