First C-130J Arrives For Active Duty

The US Air Force has welcomed its newest combat-ready aircraft. The first C-130J Hercules assigned to an active-duty unit arrived at the Little Rock Air Force Base on March 19. Little Rock AFB is scheduled to have seven C-130Js by December 2005. The J model represents a quantum leap forward in transport airlift technology, bringing 40 percent greater performance over the current C-130, Colonel Reheiser said. It can fly farther, faster, higher and longer while carrying more equipment or people. Onboard computer advances have allowed the removal of the flight engineer and the navigator, making the J model less expensive to operate in terms of man-hours. It can also carry heavier loads, more people and take off or land on shorter runways than

Flying To 'The Edge Of Space & Back' Aboard A MiG-25

"Flying to the edge of space was an amazing experience I will never forget," Travelers Advantage "Edge of Space" Sweepstakes winner Kara Sutton said. "Both the trip to Russia and flight aboard a MiG-25 fighter jet were just unbelievable. A Georgia Tech graduate who works in a hospital Emergency Room here, Sutton entered the sweepstakes as a hobby and won the Travelers Advantage "Edge of Space" Sweepstakes. The free Space Adventures trip, which was valued at $18,995, included travel to Moscow, hotel accommodations and the flight from the Zhukovsky Air Force Base outside Moscow.

Pilots Prepare for Action Overseas 

Unconventional warfare can be defined as the absence of a clearly defined enemy and lacking classic lines of battle. Combining this definition with the rugged terrain of Afghanistan and Iraq, it is easy to see why commanders throughout the combat air forces are clamoring for forward air control (airborne)-capable pilots. These pilots are known as FAC-As. The airborne controller supports a ground commander by solving tactical problems using airpower. The 310th Fighter Squadron at Luke AFB runs the only schoolhouse for F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots training to become FAC-As. Each class lasts five weeks and includes a 12-ride program that tests technical knowledge and piloting skills. The school graduates 13 classes of pilots annua

Air National Guard Col. Linda McTague does not see herself as a pioneer for women's achievements, but she realizes that other people consider her to be a role model for what women can accomplish in this country's military service. And she said she strives very hard to live up to those expectations, as well as to her own. Colonel McTague is in a good position to take that kind of stock in herself. She is the first woman to command an ANG wing, and is believed to be the first woman to command an Air Force fighter squadron, according to Air Force history office records. Specifically, the woman from Battle Creek, Mich., assumed command of the District of Columbia ANG's highly decorated 113th Wing on Dec. 1.