C-130 News: C-130s take off from Niagara Falls for final deployment

[casey]

For more than 40 years, people living in Niagara Falls and other parts of Niagara County could see C-130 Hercules aircraft in the skies on a regular basis. That came to an end Monday, as four of the planes took off for an overseas assignment for the last time.

The C-130s have been a mainstay at the local installation, serving the nation in numerous foreign and domestic assignments, utilizing pilots, navigators, loadmasters, flight engineers and medical evacuation personnel. 

"We've been involved in every major and minor conflict that the world has been involved with, from Panama to Bosnia to Kosovo," said Lt. Col. Mark Ables, who has been flying C-130s since 1985. "We've done humanitarian relief, when there's hurricanes and floods."

For many families, serving in the 914th Airlift Wing at Niagara Falls has been done for more than one generation. Among those with loved ones who have previously served is Chris, a Lt. Col. who was among the deployed and whose last name was not released for security reasons. He acknowledged the same mixed feelings others had about the end of a long-running mission at Niagara Falls.

"My father did this. My uncle did this," Chris said. "A lot of times it's my friends up there. Lately, within the last week or so... I'm definitely going to miss the mission. I'm very proud of what we do here. The C-130 is one of my favorite planes of all time. It always has been."

Lieutenant Kim, whose last name is also withheld under security rules, takes pride in being among those who boarded this final mission out of Niagara Falls involving C-130 planes.

"I'm from the Western New York area, so this is home to me," she said. "To be able to get to fly such a great plane in my hometown area is wonderful."

The base's mission is evolving. Soon to arrive at the local installation are KC-135 air refueling tankers. The base is also home to remote-control drone aircraft operations. 

Lt. Col. Ables, whose personal experience includes Operation Desert Storm and is retiring next month, is pleased that the base and the unit will still be relevant to the nation's military needs.

"We have no shortage of volunteers," he said. "People that are proud to do the job. They leave home for months at a time. We have families that support this mission and have for years and years."

One official told WBFO that upon completion of this last foreign assignment, C-130 planes will still be kept at the base for training and for domestic needs. But the days of seeing these aircraft in the Niagara Falls skies are ending. 

And many who have had close ties to the aircraft will miss them.

"I love flying low-levels. Formation low-levels are the top-notch thing for me," said Lt. Col. Chris. "We do a lot of air drops, air land, and night vision goggle stuff. But the formation low-levels, I'll never forget that." 

Source: http://news.wbfo.org/post/c-130s-take-niagara-falls-final-deployment#stream/0

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