A C-5 Galaxy pulls into the staging area of Operation Phoenix Allusion, Fort Hood, Texas.

The Galaxy is one of the world's largest aircraft. It is almost as long as a football field and as high as a six-story building and has a cargo compartment about the size of an eight-lane bowling alley. The C-5 is the only aircraft that can transport any of the Army's combat equipment, including the 74-ton (66,600-kilogram) mobile scissors bridge, tanks and helicopters. The most dramatic display of the Galaxy's capability and value was during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The C-5, along with other Air Force transport aircraft, airlifted almost a half-million passengers and more than 577,000 tons (519,300 metric tons) of cargo. This included 15 air-transportable hospitals and the more than 5,000 medical personnel to run them, and more than 211 tons (189.9 metric tons) of mail to and from the men and women in the Middle East - each day.

The C-5 can carry unusually large and heavy cargo for intercontinental ranges at jet speeds. The plane can take off and land in relatively short distances and taxi on substandard surfaces during emergency operations. The C-5 and the smaller C-141B Starlifter are strategic airlift partners. Together they carry fully equipped, combat-ready troops to any area in the world on short notice and provide full field support necessary to maintain a fighting force. Using the front and rear cargo openings, the Galaxy can be loaded and off-loaded at the same time. Both nose and rear doors open the full width and height of the cargo compartment, allowing drive-through loading and unloading of wheeled and tracked vehicles, and faster, easier loading of bulky equipment. A "#34 landing gear system lowers the aircraft's cargo floor to truck-bed height. The entire cargo floor has a roller system for rapid handling of palletized equipment. Thirty-six fully loaded pallets can be loaded aboard in about 90 minutes.

A C-5 aproaches to refuel with the 163rd Air Refueling Wing from March ARB, Calif., during Red Flag 99-1 at Nellis AFB, NV. Red Flag is a simulated training exercise held for the U.S. and its allies conducted on the vast range north of Nellis AFB. Red Flag is one of a series of advanced training programs administered by the 414th Combat Training Squadron, Air Warefare Center at Nellis AFB.

With its tremendous payload capability, the gigantic C-5 Galaxy, an outsized-cargo transport, provides the Air Mobility Command intertheater airlift in support of United States national defense. The C-5 is one of the largest aircraft in the world. It can carry outsized cargo intercontinental ranges and can take off or land in relatively short distances. Ground crews can load and off load the C-5 simultaneously at the front and rear cargo openings since the nose and aft doors open the full width and height of the cargo compartment. It can also "kneel down" to facilitate loading directly from truck bed levels. (DF-ST-98-01297)

A U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy arrives at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, Thursday, April 22, 1999, in support of OperationAllied Force. The C-5B is delivering four fuel trucks to the fuels management flight of the 100th Supply Squadron.

A U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy arrives at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, Thursday, April 22, 1999, in support of Operation Allied Force. The C-5B is delivering four fuel trucks to the fuels management flight of the 100th Supply Squadron.

A C-5 aircraft from the 9th Airlift Squadron, Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, lands at Darwin Royal Australian Air Force Base, to deliver cargo and equipment bound for East Timor to support Operation Stabilise. The U.S. Air Force is providing logistics, communications, and planning support to International Forces East Timor (INTERFET). INTERFET is providing peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and force protection to East Timor.

A C-5 aircraft from the 9th Airlift Squadron, Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, is being offloaded at Darwin Royal Australian Air Force Base. The cargo and equipment it brought is bound for East Timor for Operation Stabilise. The U.S. Air Force is providing logistics, communications, and planning support to International Forces East Timor.

Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle Mystic (DSRV 1) inches aboard an Air Force Reserve C-5A "Galaxy" aircraft for transport to Sorbet Royal 2000, a NATO submarine rescue exercise off the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. The C-5 includes the forward cargo door (visor) and ramp, and the aft cargo door system and ramp. These features allow drive-on/drive-off loading and unloading of the cargo compartment. The C-5's have the ability to kneel, which lowers the cargo compartment floor by about 10 to 3 feet off the ground. The Galaxy has carried special loads, such as large missiles, that would require extra time, manpower and dollars to transport via ship, rail or flatbed truck.