Air Force Reserve Command’s 913th Airlift Group flew its final C-130H sortie before converting to the new C-130J at Little Rock AFB, Ark., late last month, officials announced. The 913th AG integrated with Little Rock’s Active Duty 50th Airlift Squadron providing conversion training on the legacy C-130, and more recently the C-130J. “We’ve been balancing both, but now, we transition to the J,” 913th Operations Support Squadron operations officer Lt. Col. Keith Jasmin said in a release. With the divestiture of its 14 C-130Hs, the Reserve unit will transition from an active associate unit to a classic association, co-manning the Active Duty C-130Js. The 913th AG will be the first classic associate C-130J unit, according to the release. Reserve aircrew and maintainers will undergo training on the Super Hercules, and complete conversion to the new aircraft by September. The final C-130H training sortie from Little Rock departed on Jan. 28.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…