Lockheed Martin last week delivered the 150th C-130J Super Hercules it has produced to the Air Force for use by the California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing at Channel Islands ANGS, Calif. Brig. Gen. Darren McDew, vice commander of 18th Air Force at Scott AFB, Ill., flew the new aircraft from Lockheed’s production facility in Marietta, Ga., to the Channel Islands unit, which now has all eight of its new J model Hercules tactical airlifters. According to a Lockheed release, airmen of the 146th AW just returned from a 20-month deployment to Iraq, where four J models flew 5,444 sorties, delivering 12,681 tons of cargo and hauling 70,350 personnel.
The Air Force will test out a “next Airmen up” list for the upcoming chief master sergeant promotion cycle, to identify qualified candidates should any of those selected to move up in rank decline to do so.