Eighteen Delaware Air National Guardsmen from the 142nd Airlift Squadron of the 166th Airlift Wing have reached an incredible milestone—one rarely attained by active duty aircrews—more than 5,000 hours of flying time in the C-130H. “These crews are among the most experienced in the world,” Col. Daniel Van Wyk told the Wilmington News Journal. Delaware ANG personnel have been involved in more than 8,000 missions across the Southwest Asia theater in the past three years. MSgt. Gerald Luce told the Journal that when he joined in 1982, ANG fliers were treated like “some sort of private flying club.” He added, now “they call us first when something needs to be done.”
Fly, Fix, Defend: Wilsbach Aims for a Readier Air Force
July 31, 2026
When Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach became Chief of Staff of the Air Force in November 2025, he coined a simple motto: “Fly and Fix”—so you can fight if necessary. In the nine months since, Airmen have been flying, fixing, and fighting—a lot.