STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. -- Marking the United States’ semiquincentennial, the 250th birthday of the nation, the 105th Airlift Wing at Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York, flew one of its C-17 Globemaster IIIs in an Independence Day celebration July 4th, 2026, in the New York City region.
The aircrew for the flight included Col. Francis “Merman” Farrelly, 105th Operations Group commander and pilot, Maj. Robert “Shortstop” McDonald, 137th Airlift Squadron assistant director of operations and pilot, Lt. Col. Rodrigo Nagle, 137th AS pilot, Master Sgt. John “Nemo” Neumann, Master Sgt. Anthony Galioto, and Tech. Sgt. Ada Torres, 137th AS loadmasters.
The demonstration included a fleet of about 100 U.S. and allied naval vessels and tall sailing ships from around the world that sailed up the Hudson River out of New York City, while over 180 aircraft from the U.S. and international partners flew in formation above.
According to Farrelly, nearly every aircraft and helicopter in the U.S. military’s inventory participated. Allied aircraft such as the French Air and Space Force’s Patrouille de France Alpha Jets, F-35 Lightning IIs from both the Italian Air Force and Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force, a C-130 Hercules from the Swedish Air Force, and more, also flew in the celebratory flight.
“Our flight was a beautiful tribute to how far our nation has come in our 250 years and what we’ve accomplished in helping the entire world as we’ve grown,” Farrelly said. “We rose from a ragtag group of severe underdogs, planning the strategy of the American Revolution in Fraunces Tavern in the late 1700s, to a display of the most powerful Air Force, Navy and allies on the planet flying past that same tavern and all of the proud, free citizens of our nation on its 250th birthday.”
The naval ships and aircraft paraded out of New York City, past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and north up the Hudson River, breaking off and ending the demonstration at the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge near Nyack and Tarrytown, New York.
The operation not only celebrated 250 years of American independence, but also highlighted the precision, diligence and skill that the 105th’s aircrew possesses, as well as those of the men and women in the sister Department of War branches and other participating federal agencies, Farrelly added.
“This event was a resounding success that left our crew and all of the Airmen of the 105th Airlift Wing who made the flight possible pumped up with a lot of pride,” Farrelly said. “Watching the precision of all of the pilots, aircrew and air traffic controllers as we all executed the event so successfully rewarded us with the amazing display of New York Harbor, the tall ships, our navy vessels and the enormous crowds. It was truly a sight to behold.”