In Australian service, Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft are operated by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). To improve the Australian Defence Force's (ADF's) ability to operate outside Australia, eight were ordered from 2006 to 2014; the first arrived in Australia on 4 December 2006. Three more entered service by January 2008, two more by November 2012, and the last two by November 2015. All eight Globemasters are assigned to No. 36 Squadron and operate from RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland. The aircraft have supported ADF operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and other locations in the Middle East, as well as training exercises in Australia and the United States. They have also transported supplies and personnel as part of relief efforts following disasters in Australia, Japan, New Zealand and several other countries. Their acquirement process was seen as exemplary of good practice in defence procurement. C-17s are highly regarded throughout the Australian military for their ability to carry large amounts of cargo across long distances. Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_C-17_Globemaster_III_in_Australian_service> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 771: Austrasian King Carloman I died, leaving his brother Charlemagne King of the now complete Frankish Kingdom. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carloman_I> 1872: The American brigantine Mary Celeste was found apparently abandoned under circumstances that to this day remain unknown. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Celeste> 1909: The Montreal Canadiens, the oldest professional ice hockey club in the world, were founded as a charter member of the National Hockey Association. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Montreal_Canadiens> 1980: The English rock group Led Zeppelin officially disbanded. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Led_Zeppelin> 2006: Six black youths in Jena, Louisiana, US, assaulted a white teenager; the subsequent court case would become a cause célèbre. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jena_Six> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: dude: 1. (colloquial) A man, generally a younger man. 2. (colloquial, used in the vocative) A term of address for a teenager or young man, particularly when cautioning him or offering him advice. 3. An inexperienced cowboy. 4. (slang) A tourist. 5. (archaic) A man who is very concerned about his dress and appearance; a dandy, a fop. <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dude> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:   I can’t stop while there are lives to be saved.   --Edith Cavell <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edith_Cavell>