Members of Class 1101 at the Air Force Special Operations Training Center at Hurlburt Field, Fla., were the first students to participate in mission qualification training for the MC-130J. “This first class is a small group tryout designed to validate our syllabus of instruction for the remaining classes,” said Maj. Robert Deka, AFSOTC MC-130J training program manager. Center officials worked with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard’s 193rd Special Operations Wing, the Marine Corps, and the National Guard Bureau to launch this training, which has been in the making for about two years. “AFSOTC is setting the stage for the future of this platform, and the MC-130J is a huge addition to the AFSOC fleet, so we have to get it right,” said Col. Mark Alsid, training center commander. Air Force Special Operations Command intends to procure 37 MC-130Js to replace its aging MC-130E Combat Talons and MC-130P Combat Shadows. (Hurlburt report by Rachel Arroyo)
How Miss America 2024 Took the Air Force Somewhere New
Dec. 20, 2024
When 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh became the first ever active service member crowned Miss America on Jan. 14, top Air Force officials recognized a rare opportunity to reach women and girls who otherwise might not consider military service as an option.