JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
Two retiring U.S. Air Force C-130H Hercules aircraft touched down at Kelly Field Aug. 25, closing out decades of global airlift operations to take on their new mission: shaping the next generation of Airmen.
The aircraft will join the previously received F-16 Fighting Falcon to serve as training platforms as part of the 737th Training Group’s Air Base Training Range. By introducing the airframes into the training environment, BMT provides trainees with exposure to airfield operations and the operational Air Force long before they reach their first duty stations.
Trainees will learn skills to include cargo loading, aircraft refueling, and aircraft marshaling. Skills that are paramount in defending, operating, generating, and sustaining airpower in a contested environment.
For one military training instructor, the aircraft’s arrival brought him back to his roots. Tech. Sgt. Nathaniel Brown, 322nd Training Squadron master military training instructor, stepped onto the flight line to marshal one of the incoming aircraft into its parking spot. Prior to becoming an MTI, Brown served as an aircraft crew chief. Marshaling the aircraft’s arrival forged a link between his past operational experience and his current mission of developing air-minded warriors.
One C-130H Hercules, tail number 96-7325, brings a significant historical past to the 737th Training Group. Entering service at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, in 1997, it was the final C-130H Hercules model to roll off the production line. During its nearly 30-year career, the aircraft logged 10,980 flight hours.
After its initial assignment in Colorado, the aircraft transferred to the West Virginia Air National Guard’s 130th Airlift Wing in 2015, where it deployed to U.S. Central Command in support of Operation Spartan Shield. In 2021, it joined the Montana Air National Guard’s 120th Airlift Wing, logging 2,000 hours and supporting U.S. Africa Command operations Octave Quartz and New Normal.
During its final years of flying service, 96-7325 participated in major heritage flights across Europe. The aircraft conducted personnel airdrops in 2024 for the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands and flew over the beaches of Normandy in June 2026 to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of D-Day.
As these aircraft bridge the gap between legacy tactical platforms and the modern C-130J fleet, they will continue their service. Now stationed at JBSA-Lackland, the airframes will provide countless future Airmen their first hands-on experience with the mobility assets that project American airpower worldwide.