For the last time, seven C-130Es from the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein AB, Germany, flew to Grafenwoehr Army Airfield, also in Germany, on April 22 to conduct jump qualification training with hundreds of Army paratroopers. The 37th AS, which is part of Ramstein’s 86th Airlift Wing, received the first of its C-130Js on April 7. All 14 of the new airlifters are expected to be in place at Ramstein in 2010. Accordingly, the next time the unit performs the quarterly jump-qualification mission, it will be with its new C-130Js. “There is some nostalgia in flying the last C-130E Grafenwoehr mission. We’ve been flying this mission for a long time now,” said SSgt. Victor Reynosa, a loadmaster with the squadron. He added, “But it is time to move on. The new J-model is much more capable, it is larger, faster, and many of the manual things on the E-model are computerized on the J.” (Ramstein report by TSgt. Michael Voss)
Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, nominee to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Defense Department needs to upgrade its electronic warfare capability and its EW training ranges; just as his predecessor said at his own confirmation hearing.