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C-130 Deployments
- Thread starter usmcecho4
- Start date
I would go to 152 (Okinawa) for a tour and then try to end up at 352 (Miramar). I got deployed twice. The first one was routine, only lasted a month. We were supporting the 11th MEU(SOC) in Jordan. Second time was around three months only because we were doin some real world stuff. We were supporting the 13th MEU(SOC) in Italy, Kenya, Egypt and Kuwait.
The Marine herc squadrons have different AORs. 152 is far east and Australia, 252 is Turkey and European theater and 352 is Africa and the rest of the middle east.
The Marine herc squadrons have different AORs. 152 is far east and Australia, 252 is Turkey and European theater and 352 is Africa and the rest of the middle east.
I'll let some Herc guys answer this fully but you dont want Oki and here is why (this might change in a few years). Oki is the only place flying the older C-130 J I think while everywhere else is on the K.
The Oki guys do their 2-3 years then do something else and look for orders in CONUS but have been getting told they have to go to Oki again because they are short pilots there.
Okinawa is nice in small doses but overall 1 MAW is not a fun place to be. They really dont have much threat to deal with so they focus on innovative liberty restrictons, safety policies and other silliness. You will be treated like a child and have to lead Marines who are treated like toddlers.
Believe me when I say that if you treat Marines like children they will act like it and this in turn will get very high level attention-it is is vicious cycle.
Congrats on the selection but avoid OKI.
The Oki guys do their 2-3 years then do something else and look for orders in CONUS but have been getting told they have to go to Oki again because they are short pilots there.
Okinawa is nice in small doses but overall 1 MAW is not a fun place to be. They really dont have much threat to deal with so they focus on innovative liberty restrictons, safety policies and other silliness. You will be treated like a child and have to lead Marines who are treated like toddlers.
Believe me when I say that if you treat Marines like children they will act like it and this in turn will get very high level attention-it is is vicious cycle.
Congrats on the selection but avoid OKI.
GT Propjock
Registered User
Cool, welcome to the Herc world. Duty stations depends on what you want when you are not at work, and if you are married, etc.
Deployments: Oki(152) doesn't "deploy" in the sense that Cherry Point (252) or Miramar (352) do, but you will Det out all over God's creation in the Pacific for weeks/months at a time. 252 and 352 have a ~7 month on, ~5 month off cycle in the Sand Box right now, plus any MEU committments that come up, so you could very well be back from a Deployment and then be off again for a month or 2 for a MEU support det. Just be ready to roll with a day or 2 notice, and never plan to return when they tell you that you will be back, because you will be gone for longer than they say 99.9% of the time.
Cherry Point: All points Europe and the Med.; on a 7 month on ~ 5 month off rotation. The area itself is good if you like the outdoors and sparce populations. If you want larger cities, Malls, all that jazz you have to travel to Jacksonville (~45 miles), Greenville (~50 miles), or up to Raleigh (~85 miles) to do that kind of thing. Cherry Point is flying J models, and the school is either the 3 month program at Little Rock AFB, or the ATU at Cherry Point.
Miramar: All Points in Africa and West Asia. Close to the same rotation at the East coast guys. Miramar is just north of San Diego, so close enough to go have a good time in the City. A little bit of a drive though if you looking for Woods to do outdoor stuff with. Expensive as all get out. Went looking for Apt's as I finished up Adv, and was looking at the top of my BAH limit for a family of four in some of the better neighborhoods. Also flying the J model with 1 or 2 R models left that will probably be gone by the time you would get there.
Okinawa: Skidkid summed alot of that up. Otherwise, it is a good family place from what my friends out there have told me. You will not spend a great deal of time on the island, as every time we fly, we leave the island. Housing can be hard to get into and find, so heads up. Plus side though, you get a monsterous COLA, and some additional allowances that are not in the states. Oki is flying F models and R models and are suppose to start transitioning to J's by the end of FY '07.
Reserves: there is the rare opportunity to go to the reserve squadrons as an active Lt, but it is hard to make happen and has its own set of complications that come with it (Upgrades, PIC time, ground job back log, etc.) If this is the way for you, make the ATU where you want to go for training and try to make it happen from there (I would wager little chance of getting it if you go to Little Rock, simply b/c they don't give two sh!t's about us). Reserves are flying T models out of Ft. Worth, TX and Ft. Stewart, NY.
If you need any other info PM me.
Deployments: Oki(152) doesn't "deploy" in the sense that Cherry Point (252) or Miramar (352) do, but you will Det out all over God's creation in the Pacific for weeks/months at a time. 252 and 352 have a ~7 month on, ~5 month off cycle in the Sand Box right now, plus any MEU committments that come up, so you could very well be back from a Deployment and then be off again for a month or 2 for a MEU support det. Just be ready to roll with a day or 2 notice, and never plan to return when they tell you that you will be back, because you will be gone for longer than they say 99.9% of the time.
Cherry Point: All points Europe and the Med.; on a 7 month on ~ 5 month off rotation. The area itself is good if you like the outdoors and sparce populations. If you want larger cities, Malls, all that jazz you have to travel to Jacksonville (~45 miles), Greenville (~50 miles), or up to Raleigh (~85 miles) to do that kind of thing. Cherry Point is flying J models, and the school is either the 3 month program at Little Rock AFB, or the ATU at Cherry Point.
Miramar: All Points in Africa and West Asia. Close to the same rotation at the East coast guys. Miramar is just north of San Diego, so close enough to go have a good time in the City. A little bit of a drive though if you looking for Woods to do outdoor stuff with. Expensive as all get out. Went looking for Apt's as I finished up Adv, and was looking at the top of my BAH limit for a family of four in some of the better neighborhoods. Also flying the J model with 1 or 2 R models left that will probably be gone by the time you would get there.
Okinawa: Skidkid summed alot of that up. Otherwise, it is a good family place from what my friends out there have told me. You will not spend a great deal of time on the island, as every time we fly, we leave the island. Housing can be hard to get into and find, so heads up. Plus side though, you get a monsterous COLA, and some additional allowances that are not in the states. Oki is flying F models and R models and are suppose to start transitioning to J's by the end of FY '07.
Reserves: there is the rare opportunity to go to the reserve squadrons as an active Lt, but it is hard to make happen and has its own set of complications that come with it (Upgrades, PIC time, ground job back log, etc.) If this is the way for you, make the ATU where you want to go for training and try to make it happen from there (I would wager little chance of getting it if you go to Little Rock, simply b/c they don't give two sh!t's about us). Reserves are flying T models out of Ft. Worth, TX and Ft. Stewart, NY.
If you need any other info PM me.
Here' the skinny echo-4. Since there is no RAG for USMC BattleHerks, it's hard to say where what the future holds regarding training. (LRAFB or OJT) The two CONUS squadrons (VMGR-252/VMGR-352) are full up KC-130J squadrons and both are in the OIF/OEF rotation. The two reserve squadrons (VMGR-234/VMGR-452) are supporting both coasts and are "reserve" units in name only. All have been to the desert and are still going. VMGR-152 (Okinawa) is still operating the legacy aircraft (KC-130F/R), although they are likely to begin receiving the new airplane sometime within the next year. The "Sumos" in Japan enjoy some serious travel and adventure in the far east so if that's what your looking for, it's the place to be regardless of which airframe your driving. Hope this helps your process. Hercs can't be beat for crews or maintainers (even the "J").
GT Propjock
Registered User
Harrier Dude
Living the dream
FWIW, most of my Herk buds were 352 west coast guys and loved it. They also tell me that the notion of "East Coast covers Europe" is crap. They claim to have gone there many, many times. I just came back from Oki, and the 152 guys are loving it for the most part. Their incoming CO (may not be a factor for you) is a great guy and will make the squadron a great place to be.
As far as places to live go, 234 (Ft. Worth) would be awesome, but I don't know what it would do to you w/r/t career path since they fly legacy Herks. Good luck, and congrats.
As far as places to live go, 234 (Ft. Worth) would be awesome, but I don't know what it would do to you w/r/t career path since they fly legacy Herks. Good luck, and congrats.
FrogFly
Knibb High Football Rules!
Got a chance to spend a little time at 234 earlier this year. They fly the T model and get all the advantages of having a full crew compliment (Navs, FE, etc.). Really good people too... I would love to go there, given the chance. Only prob is that company grade officers are few and far between, so you're probably going to inheret all the undesirables for ground work. Hell, it's worth it though.
I flew legacy as a copilot for 2 yrs, loved the FEs, and many of the ones I flew with are now crew chiefs. There are Crew Chief 1, 2, and 3s. The newest guys are CC1s, CC2 comes a year or 2 into it, and then CC3. CC3s are what I consider the equivalent to an FE. Former FEs transitioning to the J end up as CC3s after their transition training. The J has new motors and avionics, but many of the systems haven't changed. I think the former engineers are mostly OK with their new job, but most do seem to miss the authority and expertise they wielded in the old plane. Hope this helps.
Something for you C-130 boys to mull over .... 
.... Khe Sahn, 1968:
"....[FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif][FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif][FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif]The loss of the Marine ammunition dump on the battle's opening day created an immediate requirement to replenish lost ammunition. USAF's 834th Air Division rose to the task. Despite increasingly heavy anti-aircraft fire, Lockheed C-130 Hercules and Fairchild C-123 Providers landed at Khe Sanh, replenishing the artillery stocks and bringing out the wounded. During the first eight days, the airlifters brought in an average of 250 tons of cargo per day. The total was supplemented by Marine KC-130 deliveries and heavy use of the Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters.[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif][FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif][FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif]The Communists continued to shell the Khe Sanh airstrip, even as they built up their anti-aircraft strength. Transports were brought under fire during their approach to landing. Passive tactics using cloud cover and steep descents were adopted. As soon as an aircraft touched down it became a mortar magnet, a target for Communist fire. The C-123s were able to make the turnoff into the parking ramp, but the C-130s had to go to the end of the runway and then taxi back, sometimes being tracked by mortar shells all the way. Both air- and ground crews worked feverishly as unloading techniques were speeded up, with the airplanes literally taxiing out from under their palletized cargo.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif]The C-130s were tough, taking hits, getting repaired, taking more hits, and still managing to take off. On Feb. 5, a C-130E was blasted by machine-gun fire, which ignited the wooden ammunition boxes it was carrying. The aircraft commander, Lt. Col. Howard M. Dallman, coolly backed the airplane to the end of the runway, where it would do the least damage if it blew up, then set about putting out the fire. As the crew off-loaded the ammunition, the C-130 was struck again several times, with a tire being destroyed. After an improvised tire change, Dallman was taxiing out for takeoff when another mortar exploded, knocking out an engine. Undaunted, Dallman was preparing a three-engine takeoff from the 3,900-foot strip when the damaged engine was restarted. The airplane was hit by several more strikes, but Dallman managed to take off and get back to base. He was the first transport crewman to receive an Air Force Cross.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif]Many other 130s were damaged, sometimes while being repaired from previous mortar rounds. The only Hercules to be lost was a Marine KC-130 carrying fuel bladders, one of which burst into flames as the aircraft was on final approach. The airplane rolled down the runway, racked by explosions, and burned out, with a loss of six on board.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif]On Feb. 12, C-130 landings were suspended, with the smaller C-123s and de Havilland C-7A Caribous being used instead. Three of the C-123s would be lost, one carrying 49 people. It was the single largest loss of life of the entire battle....."[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif]For the entire story ... touch this: [/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]Air Power at Khe Sahn, 1968[FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif][FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif]
[/FONT][/FONT]
.... Khe Sahn, 1968:"....[FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif][FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif][FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif]The loss of the Marine ammunition dump on the battle's opening day created an immediate requirement to replenish lost ammunition. USAF's 834th Air Division rose to the task. Despite increasingly heavy anti-aircraft fire, Lockheed C-130 Hercules and Fairchild C-123 Providers landed at Khe Sanh, replenishing the artillery stocks and bringing out the wounded. During the first eight days, the airlifters brought in an average of 250 tons of cargo per day. The total was supplemented by Marine KC-130 deliveries and heavy use of the Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters.[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif][FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif][FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif]The Communists continued to shell the Khe Sanh airstrip, even as they built up their anti-aircraft strength. Transports were brought under fire during their approach to landing. Passive tactics using cloud cover and steep descents were adopted. As soon as an aircraft touched down it became a mortar magnet, a target for Communist fire. The C-123s were able to make the turnoff into the parking ramp, but the C-130s had to go to the end of the runway and then taxi back, sometimes being tracked by mortar shells all the way. Both air- and ground crews worked feverishly as unloading techniques were speeded up, with the airplanes literally taxiing out from under their palletized cargo.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif]The C-130s were tough, taking hits, getting repaired, taking more hits, and still managing to take off. On Feb. 5, a C-130E was blasted by machine-gun fire, which ignited the wooden ammunition boxes it was carrying. The aircraft commander, Lt. Col. Howard M. Dallman, coolly backed the airplane to the end of the runway, where it would do the least damage if it blew up, then set about putting out the fire. As the crew off-loaded the ammunition, the C-130 was struck again several times, with a tire being destroyed. After an improvised tire change, Dallman was taxiing out for takeoff when another mortar exploded, knocking out an engine. Undaunted, Dallman was preparing a three-engine takeoff from the 3,900-foot strip when the damaged engine was restarted. The airplane was hit by several more strikes, but Dallman managed to take off and get back to base. He was the first transport crewman to receive an Air Force Cross.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif]Many other 130s were damaged, sometimes while being repaired from previous mortar rounds. The only Hercules to be lost was a Marine KC-130 carrying fuel bladders, one of which burst into flames as the aircraft was on final approach. The airplane rolled down the runway, racked by explosions, and burned out, with a loss of six on board.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif]On Feb. 12, C-130 landings were suspended, with the smaller C-123s and de Havilland C-7A Caribous being used instead. Three of the C-123s would be lost, one carrying 49 people. It was the single largest loss of life of the entire battle....."[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif]For the entire story ... touch this: [/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]Air Power at Khe Sahn, 1968[FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif][FONT=arial,verdana,helvetica,sans serif]
[/FONT][/FONT]