Air Force Reserve Command loadmaster MSgt. Keith Knepp has flown C-130 transports for nearly three decades and recently logged his 10,000th flying hour over Southwest Asia. Knepp is deployed from the 327th Airlift Squadron at Willow Grove ARS, Pa. According to the Desert Eagle, Knepp has spent most of his career on C-130Es and just last year switched to the newer H model—finding that, from his perspective, there’s not much difference. What has changed over the years is the method used by loadmasters to calculate aircraft loads. He started with a slide rule-like device and now uses a personal digital assistant—saving at least 12 minutes.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.