Air Force Continues To "Analyze ... Tactical Airlift
Structure"
The secretary of the Air Force announced May 4 that officials
will proceed with a plan to augment the C-130 Hercules training
fleet with C-130s from Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve
squadrons. Secretary Michael Donley said Air Force planners will
"continue to analyze the allocation of tactical airlift force
structure between the active and reserve components to ensure we
have the best allocation of assets to meet the nation's warfighting
requirements and to meet the needs of the states."
As a part of that allocation of assets, Secretary Donley said
Air Force officials plan to establish an Air Reserve Component
training unit at Little Rock Air Force Base, AK. "This will include
the temporary movement of some Air National Guard and Air Force
Reserve aircraft to establish an ARC C-130 formal training unit to
meet the Air Force's total force training needs," Secretary Donley
said. "We consulted extensively with the (adjutants general) of the
states providing the loaned aircraft in the development of this
plan."
The chief of Air Force Reserve said this plan goes along with
his philosophy of active-duty and Reserve Airmen working together
to achieve the mission. "This C-130 arrangement is a great example
of how the Air Force Reserve leverages its strengths and
capabilities to support Air Force and combatant command
requirements," said Lt. Gen. Charles E. Stenner Jr., chief of Air
Force Reserve. "Within the Air Force Reserve, I've emphasized
associations and integration to meet (Air Force) operational and
training mission requirements by aligning equipment, missions,
infrastructure and manpower resources to enable more effective use
of assets with our component partners.
"Guard and Reserve crews are well versed in a variety of C-130
mission sets and are certainly well-qualified for this training
mission," General Stenner said. "We're poised and proud to join our
resources with those of our active-duty and Guard partners to meet
the needs of Air Education and Training Command and the Air
Force."
The director of the Air National Guard also echoed his support
for the plan. "We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with
our active-duty and Reserve partners on this plan," said Lt. Gen.
Harry Wyatt, director of the Air National Guard. "I'm glad
this partnership will better assist the Air Force in training
qualified total force C-130 crews."
"Our Air National Guard C-130 fleet adds value to America in
many ways," General Wyatt said. "Not only do these versatile
airlifters allow us to significantly contribute to overseas
contingency operations, they provide timely support to our
governors and adjutants general in fulfilling our domestic Army and
Air National Guard missions."
The secretary explained that as new C-130J Super Hercules
continue to enter the Air Force inventory, legacy C-130 training
requirements will decrease. This will allow the temporarily
relocated C-130s from Air Guard and Reserve components to return to
their home units. The retirement of C-130Es, which average 46 years
of age, will save $256 million in modification and operations costs
while "maintaining a large enough fleet to meet current and
forecasted requirements," according to the secretary.
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