The Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing at Schenectady, N.Y., is headed to Afghanistan, marking the first time the 109th has deployed as a unit since the Vietnam War, reports the Albany Times-Union. Individual members of the C-130 tactical airlift unit have deployed to the war on terror but with other outfits. The 109th is perhaps best known for flying its ski-equipped LC-130s for missions in the Polar Regions.
The Air Force plans to conduct more intensive training—and Congress is set to help by boosting funding for exercises and so-called “campaigning” by hundreds of millions of dollars, particularly in the Pacific.
