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.
In a new 2026 appropriations bill released Jan. 20, Congress included an extra $900 million to save the E-7 airborne early warning and control aircraft from cancelation, an additional $500 million for the F-47 Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter to address “emerging” needs, and $401 million to make up for “economic factors” in…
