The 914th Airlift Wing at Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y., is wrapping up its final airlift rotation to al Udeid AB, Qatar, before it transitions from the C-130 to KC-135 Stratotankers, according to a release. The 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and the 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit supported over 1,000 flight hours in support of Operation Inherent Resolve just within the last three months. The C-130s proved more than capable of adapting to their challenging missions, which involved inserting airborne troops, airdropping cargo, and medical evacuations under demanding conditions that necessitated “routinely landing on a 3,000-foot dirt runway” and “flying only 300 feet off the ground.”
Navy Adm. Samuel J. Paparo Jr. assumed leadership of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, succeeding Navy Adm. John Aquilino at a change of command ceremony, urging action amid China's “increasing intrusive and expansionist claims,” on May 3