Members of the 17th Special Operations Squadron at Kadena AB, Japan, bid farewell to the first of the unit’s legacy MC-130P aircraft as the squadron begins its transition to the new MC-130J model. This MC-130P, aircraft number 69-5825, flew to Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., on July 17 to enter retirement in the Air Force’s aircraft boneyard, according to Kadena’s Aug. 1 release. The airframe had served for 44 years, amassing nearly 19,000 flying hours, states the release. “After having executed a wide variety of missions in the aircraft over the last 13 years, I have mixed emotions seeing her headed to retirement,” said Lt. Col. Daniel Kobs of the 17th SOS. He said the eventual arrival of Kadena’s MC-130Js would “usher in a new era” of special operations forces airmen and capabilities. Lockheed Martin delivered the Air Force’s first MC-130J in September 2011 to Cannon AFB, N.M. (Kadena report by TSgt. Kristine Dreyer) (See also Newest HC-130J, MC-130J Deliveries.)
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.