California Air National Guard C-130Js headed home from the Middle East, handing over regional airlift responsibility to airlifters from the 910th Airlift Wing at Youngstown ARS, Ohio, and Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing. During the four-month deployment, the 146th Airlift Wing C-130s flew in Exercise Eager Lion in Jordan, supported the Afghan presidential election, and provided disaster relief during massive flooding in the region, according to a July 5 release. “They set a high level of mission execution to support United States Central Command requirements in the Arabian Gulf region. They can and should be proud of their accomplishments,” said Col. Joe Santos, 386th Expeditionary Operations Group commander. The more than 100 aircrew, maintenance, and support personnel from Channel Islands ANGB, Calif., deployed at the beginning of March, according to a report.
The Air Force awarded a $13.08 billion contract to the Sierra Nevada Corporation on April 26 for its Survivable Airborne Operations Center aircraft, the successor to the service’s E-4B “Doomsday” plane. Like the E-4B, officially called the National Airborne Operations Center, the SAOC will be meant to withstand a nuclear attack and keep…