The last of eight C-130Hs arrived at Bradley ANGB in East Granby, Conn., last week, completing the Air National Guard’s 103rd Airlift Wing’s conversion from the Learjet C-21, unit officials announced. “We are now inextricably tied to the tactical airlift mission and our conversion to the venerable Hercules points to a very bright future at Bradley,” 103rd AW Commander Col. Frank Detorie said a release. The unit received its first C-130 in June 2013 and is slated to reach initial operational capability on the airlifter in 2016, states the release. “This milestone is incredibly important for the Flying Yankees because the longevity and proud history of the C-130 bodes so well for the future on the Connecticut ANG,” Detorie added.
The roles and missions executed by Air Force warriors are essential to the nation’s security. Yet after three decades of constant demand and minimal replenishment, our Air Force is too small and too old. It needs to be rebuilt. The Trump administration and Congress must fund that modernization to ensure…