Members Of The 174th Attack Wing Ride In A C-130 For The First Time

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Duane Morgan
  • 174th Attack Wing
Hancock Air National Guard Base, NY --  

Airmen new to the 174th Attack Wing (ATKW) got a ride in a C-130 from the Delaware Air National Guard during a training exercise, April 29, 2022, at Hancock Field Air National Guard base, Syracuse, New York.

The 174th' s  training exercise is part of readiness training and prepares airmen to be mission-ready if when they are deployed.

The C-130 is a four-engine military transport aircraft. It was designed and built by Lockheed , and was originally designed as troop, medevac, and cargo transport aircraft. 
Lockheed Martin began producing C-130s in 1954, the first C-130 in military service was in 1956, and C-130s are still being produced today.

This was the very first time flying in a C-130 for many of the members that were on board the plane.

The flight capped off a long day of preparation that everyone who boarded the flight had to go through.

The members all participated in the exercise by processing through a pre-deployment line, which consisted  of important briefings, filling out paperwork, and turning in paperwork to make sure each member is mission ready if needed.

Many of the airmen mentioned that the C-130 flight was the most interesting part of the day.

“I thought it was great!,” said Xavier Comstock, Airman with the Force Support Squadron. “You don’t really get a chance to fly in a plane like that outside of the military. It felt good to have a chance to fly around.”

Many of the passengers had different things that they liked about the flight.

“For me personally my favorite part of the flight was going up in the cockpit with the pilots,” said Espoir Kibingira, Airman with the Force Support Squadron. “It was really fun seeing how the pilots fly the plane.”

When asked to explain their experience on board the C-130 in one word, Comstock chose “different.”

“Because being in a C-130 gives you a completely different feel than being on a commercial plane. There is just a certain atmosphere on a C-130 that you can’t get when flying on a commercial plane.” said Comstock.

Kibingira chose the word “phenomenal.”

“You get a chance to see what the pilots are doing. You also get a chance to see how the cargo is stored on the pallets in back of the plane. It’s basically like having your own tour of the plane at any time.” said Kibingira.