North Carolina Air National Guardsmen operating with the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, completed the first airdrop of their deployment last week by delivering a 12,000-pound forklift to an Army remote forward operating base in the country with one of their C-130s. “The reason we dropped the forklift is due to the fact of the prevalence of [improvised explosive devices] in the area and on the roads,” said Maj. Jon Locklear, aircraft commander for the Nov. 23 mission. He added, “Being able to airdrop makes a big difference. It’s something we really look forward to.” Locklear said the Hercules aircrews train for airdrops “day-in, day-out back home,” which for these Air Guardsmen is the 145th Airlift Wing in Charlotte. He credited the riggers, loadmasters, mission planners, and other airmen who made this mission a success. (Bagram report by SSgt. David Salanitri)
AETC Readies for 1st Production T-7 Trainer
Dec. 5, 2025
Air Education & Training Command is poised to receive its first T-7A Red Hawk in the coming days, the start of a process that will end with pilots finally getting trained in the eagerly anticipated jet.
