Airmen with the 17th Special Operations Squadron at Kadena AB, Japan, paid honor to the venerable MC-130P Combat Shadow by conducting a final formation flight before the last of their MC-130Ps are retired, according to a base release. “Today’s final four-ship formation flight was the 17th Special Operations Squadron’s tribute to the heritage and legacy of this fine aircraft,” said Lt. Col. Nathan Colunga, 17th SOS commander, of the Oct. 16 event. The MC-130P has served well in the Pacific, “but ultimately it is time to retire the fleet and bring out the MC-130J Commando II as its replacement,” he added. The first of Kadena’s MC-130Ps left the base in July 2013. The squadron’s last remaining MC-130Ps are scheduled to start departing Kadena in October; all will be gone by April 2015, states the release. Kadena’s MC-130Js are slated to arrive in the next year. “The Combat Shadow has proven its worth even at the end of its long career. That says a lot,” said Capt. Matthew Davis, a 17th SOS pilot.
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
