Little Rock's Ducimus receives first Super Hercules
On 18 September 2024, the first two Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft were delivered to the 154th Training Squadron "Ducimus (We lead)" at Little Rock AFB (AR).
The first to arrive was C-130J 99-1933, a former EC-130J Commando Solo. The second, 96-8153, also a former EC-130J, was noted through the ADS-B Flight Tracking website.
Air National Guard's 154th Training Squadron, part of the 189th Airlift Wing, co-located with the active duty 314th Air Wing at Little Rock, is the centre of legacy training in the Air National Guard, and throughout the world, training C-130H/J for Air Force, international, and US Marine Corps pilots, navigators, flight engineers and loadmasters.
In September 1962, the unit moved from Adams Field to Little Rock AFB. It was the first Air National Guard unit to be equipped with the RF-101 Voodoo in 1965. On 1 January 1976, the unit converted to KC-135 and was redesignated the 154th Air Refueling Squadron. It was then assigned to the Strategic Air Command, one of the first Air National Guard units to be assigned as such.
The first Hercules transport aircraft arrived on 1 July 1986 and the unit began training C-130 aircrews. By 1 October, the unit had fully converted to the C-130. Student training began on 25 September. The unit was redesignated the 154th Airlift Squadron on 16 April 1992.
Since 1998, the squadron has been the exclusive provider for instructor training. The school instructs courses for all crew positions on board the C-130, and has taught students from all branches of the military.
Credit photo: USAF