Montana Air Guard's 120th Airlift Wing flies final C-130H tactical mission

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Published: October 5, 2026

1 source

Occurred: 1w ago

Updated: October 6, 2026 (1w ago)

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First reported by: Montana National Guard release via DVIDS

Montana Air National Guard120th Airlift WingUnited States Air ForceAir National GuardC-130H HerculesC-130J Super HerculesGreat Falls Air National Guard BaseCol. Jason GreenLt. Col. Casey Lalonde

In brief

The Montana Air National Guard's 120th Airlift Wing flew its last tactical C-130H training mission on Oct. 3, 2026, ahead of its transition to eight C-130J Super Hercules.

Sources disagree

Factual claims where reporting sources diverge. Treat with care until confirmed by the primary investigator or regulator.

Date of first C-130J arrival at Great Falls: "next year"/2027 versus June (The Electric headline) versus March 2026 (earlier Electric report)
DVIDSEIN PresswireThe ElectricStars and Stripes
Length of the C-130H era: 12 years versus nearly 13 years
DVIDSStars and StripesThe Electric

The Montana Air National Guard's 120th Airlift Wing marked the end of an era on Oct. 3, 2026, when two C-130H Hercules transports flew a two-ship tactical formation over Montana and returned to Great Falls, where firefighters greeted the aircraft with a traditional water salute. The sortie was the wing's final tactical training mission in the H-model, closing roughly 12 years of Hercules airlift operations at the Great Falls base and clearing the way for the unit's conversion to the C-130J Super Hercules.

Col. Jason Green, commander of the 120th Airlift Wing, framed the milestone as a…

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