In 1990 a total of 10 Spartans were purchased as short-range cargo aircraft to support the US Army's Special Forces and were based at Howard AFB in Panama. Changes in priorities resulted in them being retired the aircraft in 1999. Several of them were taken over by the US Department of State and used to support foreign nations in their anti-drug operations, this one being latterly based at Patrick AFB, FL. The aircraft were retired again in 2013 and placed in storage at Davis Monthan.

ex USAF 90-0171 as seen in small characters on the nose

ex USAF 90-0171

24 Wing inactivated in 1999 on closure of Howard Air Force Base and the units C-27s were placed into storage with AMARG at Davis Monthan. 90-0171 went on to operate with the US Department of State as N23743 and was finally withdrawn, again to AMARG, before going on display with the Pima Air Museum.

This C-27 was delivered to the USAF as 90-0171 and served with 310th AS/24th WG at Howard AFB in Panama before being retired to AMARG in Jan. 1999 and stored as AACC0005. She escaped the boneyard and flew with the State Department in Florida before a second retirement to AMARG during March 2013.