Ignore Rasputin... The C-17 is the heavy duty “go anyware with anything, with not much runway” queen of military carargo haulers. It is flown by USAF and many of our allies as well.

It is able to cary a lot of heavy cargo over long distances and then land on only 3,000 feet of runway with a full load. The aircraft seen at SXM could have been on a training mission, or may have brought in a piece of large / heavy equipment needed by the Netherlands or French authorities. It could also have been on a proficiency training flight to practice short takeoffs and landings. It also does a lot of post-disaster relief work.

The C-17 is a real unique work horse.

Bill (retired USAF)