HC-130/MC-130

[barney]

I did a search and I know that there has got to be some more info on this stuff but could not find it. So I thought I would jump start this again. For those in the know, what are some of the differences and likes of the Mc and HC 130? I know that there are more differences than what just meets the eye but I can't find them. It seems to me that they do alot of the same things. Plus, any Nav specific stuff would be appreciated such a deployment rates and specific duties. Thanks

Oh man I probably should have put this some where else, this new design allows a high learning curve

[Toasty]

MC's and HC's are my top choices, my drop is in 4 weeks. No one I talked to doesn't like where they are. Rocker is an HC guy, and Linda is an MC, so you can direct questions there.

HC's have one nav, no EWO.

MC's have two navs and an EWO, depending on the variant I believe.

There is supposed to be another Command Day in May, so hopefully they'll have another HC and MC out for you to look around in like they did in October. Great experience!

Both have an awesome mission, that I hope I'm lucky enough to be a part of!

[Guest ElRoy]

Barney

I have been assigned to the MC-130P Combat Shadow as a Nav. But I will go ahead and mention - I am still waiting to go to Little Rock and Kirtland...so I will tell you only what I believe to be true. I would PM some of those already mentioned folks for sure.

One major difference is who owns and operates - the MC's are AFSOC and the HC's are ACC.

Also, the HC-130's primary job is CSAR and refueling the CSAR assets and people. The MC-130P refuels helicopters as well, but they are SOCOM birds, but it also performs infil/exfil missions and some other assigned missions. The MC-130 E/H model tend to do more covery activities into less permissable environments. As a Nav you will not be going direct to either the E or the H. Also, from what I hear most of the T1 crews are ANG/Reserve (not sure which). As an EWO you can be assigned to the T2 for sure.

Currently the HC is at Moody and DM. The Shadows and T2s are at Kadena, Mildenhall, and Eglin (where I am going). As far as deployments, well just like most aircraft...you are going to deploy. Just understand that most aircraft (unless on an AEF) do not have a set deployment schedule. I have heard a variety of time periods about the Shadow's deployments, but I can't personally substantiate them so...

Toasty covered just about everything else...like I said though, send some PMs and keep looking. Good Luck Toasty

[Guest Rainman A-10]

Also, the HC-130's primary job is CSAR and refueling the CSAR assets and people. The MC-130P refuels helicopters as well, but they are SOCOM birds, but it also performs infil/exfil missions and some other assigned missions.

HC-130s primary job is CSAR? What CSAR role do they participate in other than passing gas to helos?

MC-130s are in SOCOM?

[Toasty]

also talking to some of the newer special operators around the 562nd and 563rd, they will tell you that with the looming Cannon assignment around, that a lot of their friends at their former sq's were talking about getting out to avoid getting sent there. Cannon sucks, but a lot of people wouldn't mind the tour if they could land a specops platform. Something to think about...

Exactly why I put down MC-130P's on my list, which aren't moving from Eglin.

MC/HC drops are scarce. Luckily, I'm the only one in my class who wants one. Barney, just come to every drop night at the O-club, and you'll get a good idea what aircraft are dropping by the time you get to that point. 07-07 drops on Friday (and I heard they have a HELL of a drop), and my class (07-08) drops March 9.

They haven't dropped an HC or an MC to a nav since El Roy's class I believe. Been a few months.

[pirate]

HC are primarily a dedicated CSAR asset, conducting HAR, airdrops and infil/exfil. However with some of the recent changes the lines are getting blurry. When you are deployed and you have a drogue nobody cares if you’re a HC or a MC. MCs have done CSAR and HCs have refueled SOCOM birds. It is no different from the tanker's POV.

On a side note the AF times says were all getting new planes in/by 2011. If this happens I would not be surprised if we all became one tanker group capable of conducting CSAR or SOF missions.

[stract]

Kick ass for the Combat Kings on their first mission in OEF!

https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2010/04/airforce_bastion_hc130_042310/

[theSituation]

Any word on the MC/HC crew will look like? Navs and FE's on board?

[Texaco]

Any word on the MC/HC crew will look like? Navs and FE's on board?

HC-130P - Pilot, CP, Eng, Nav, Radio, 1-2 Loads

MC-130P - Pilot, CP, Eng, Left Nav, Right Nav, Radio, 1-2 Loads

HC-130J/MC-130J - Pilot, CP, CSO (takes over Nav and the FE positions; Radio duties to CSO and CP), 1-2 Loads

[FlyingBull]

I just dropped a Talon II EWO slot to Kadena. I've heard the school house is 7 months long at Kirtland, is that a TDY or PCS? Any other training before heading to Japan (other than SERE obviously)?

Thanks

[Dubs]

I just dropped a Talon II EWO slot to Kadena. I've heard the school house is 7 months long at Kirtland, is that a TDY or PCS? Any other training before heading to Japan (other than SERE obviously)?

Thanks

It's a TDY. Enjoy your time at Kirtland and expect to be delayed coming out of there... it's just the nature of the 550th. Kadena is what you make of it. It's busy as f*ck, but at the end of the day I wouldn't really say we do much. Also, you can pretty much count on getting an office job and a few additional duties right off the bat, so while you're at Kirtland I would take the time to really get into the books and learn as much as possible. The SOG just got a new commander and the new AFSOC/CC has some interesting ideas for the place, so by the time you make it out here it might actually be a good assignment.

You'll only have the schoolhouse and SERE training wise and if you have a family, they'll need to be medically cleared to travel to Kadena. There's been quite a few inbounds that never showed up as a result of their families not being good to go, so if you do have a family make sure you've at least brought the topic up to them that you might have to move to Hurlburt instead if something does go wrong so everyone isn't blindsided at the last minute.

Short of that, it's just getting on the plane and heading to Oki. Oh, if you don't have a blue passport I'd get one. There's been quite a few people that've shown up and been thrown on an off-station within a week of being cleared to fly. If you have any questions feel free to shoot me a PM.

[KingGuy]

I just dropped a Talon II EWO slot to Kadena. I've heard the school house is 7 months long at Kirtland, is that a TDY or PCS? Any other training before heading to Japan (other than SERE obviously)?

I've got a buddy who just showed up to Kirtland for Talon EWO training about two months ago. He's TDY here, and when he showed up they told him that all brand new Navs/EWOs go to Shadows - regardless of what the orders say (he also dropped Talons). He's also headed to Kadena, and they told him to expect about a three month delay to his original planned arrival at Kadena because of the back up of the Shadows. He also said he's working six days a week right now to catch up after the sim was broken for a week or two.

Does anyone know if MC-130W pilots are sent for training at Kirtland? Or is it all in-house after Little Rock?

Should be all in house for the -130W specifics - no formal program is set up for them at Kirtland, only the -H and -P/N, and soon the -J.

[Guest AFsock]

They might have just screwed some stuff up at ASPC. I had orders a squad that didn't even fly the airframe I was trained in. Our inbounds haven't changed out here. Plus we don't really even need any new navs either, our billets are filled and I haven't heard rumor mills of shortages or shifts.

Anyhow, anyone that wants info on the MC gig are welcome to shoot questions this way. So far the thread's been good gouge

*Edit* - Besides, with the J's looming, we're going to need less Navs/CSOs in the airframe so a push doesn't make sense.

Edited August 15, 2011 by AFsock

[Dead Last]

Does anyone know if MC-130W pilots are sent for training at Kirtland? Or is it all in-house after Little Rock?

It will be all in-house at the 551st at Cannon. Expect to be delayed and have a non-flying desk job at either the 551 or the 73rd.

You are joining the squadron at a very interesting time...

FW pm with any other questions

Good luck and cheers

[KingGuy]

I'm not doubting what your buddy was told, but it doesn't check with anything else I've heard. Including from someone I just spoke with who dropped Talon EWO three classes ahead of me and just started the FTU last week. Maybe it was an old policy that was recently changed? Was your friend out of one of the last classes at Randolph or transitioning from another air frame?

He is from one of the last classes at Randolph. Not sure about a recent change, but I'm pretty sure I didn't misunderstand as he was pretty heated about it until they told him he'd still be going to Kadena. Perhaps there is more to the story that I didn't catch. I'll try to get in touch with him and let you know.

edit: all the Japanese bases look the same

Edited August 15, 2011 by KingGuy

[Dubs]

they told him he'd still be going to Yakota.

The only -130s at Yokota are slicks.

There was talk about a guy who mistakenly got orders saying he was going to H's instead of P's (*gasp* Randolph f*cked up??), but I've never heard anything about all new guys going Shadows. Doesn't really make sense especially since the MC-E/P's are on the verge of being replaced

[Guest BanjoMan]

Can anyone give a good idea of the ops tempo for MCs? Shadows, specifically. And if it differs at all by base, then Mildenhall, more specifically. Thanks.

[FlyingBull]

I don't know about Shadows, but I assume it is similar to Talons. The answer is busy. Very busy.

[HEFOE P]

When will the HC- J's be active at Kirtland? I saw a couple were delivered last year, but I couldn't find anything about when they were supposed to have completely replaced the old herks.

[stract]

Kirtland owns one HC-130J, and it's been flying lines since at least Oct 11 (data point is when I HAAR'd with it in that month). 415 SOS.

88 TES at DM owns another HC-130J, and that J is augmenting at Kirtland with the 415th while the 79 RQS sends folks thru that transition pipeline. Come late summer that aircraft will be back at DM.

[Guest BanjoMan]

What constitutes busy? 1:1 deployments? Months gone out of the year? Just trying to get a good idea of what to expect for myself and the family. Thanks for any info. PM if necessary

[DirkDiggler]

Deployments in the community as a whole (MC-130H and P) aren't too bad, somewhat depends on your location. I can't be more specific than that. The thing that starts to add up is the TDYs to various locales for training. At the overeseas locations you can expect to be gone anywhere from 180-240 days a year, maybe a little less at the stateside locations. The Shadow community right now is undergoing the challenge of standing up the MC-130J while continuing to man the current MC-P fleet. As stated above, you're gonna be busy.

[Bucknut21]

I am currently a T6 FAIP with a 38 background trying to get some opinions on the best MC130 variant and wondering what my chances are of landing one of these. Right now the MC130H looks like it has the best locations and mission. My other question was if all MC130s were deployed the same amount.

[drewpey]

As far as your chances, who knows.

H and P models both have the same locations...for now...but the P will soon be transitioning to the J, which means Cannon AFB, but will also mean new toys in a few years.

As far as the mission for tomorrow's fight, I would agree with you...but I'm a bit partial. For today's fight, the mission is the same across the board for MCs, and there is plenty of fun to go around.

As far as deployment rates go, its not overwhelming. Still minimal compared to any other mobility platform out there. Contingencies aside, you should be able to massage your deployment schedule around life events within reason in any of the MC units.

[sixblades]

Read through the thread and looking for some info on HC-J's.

Is the schoolhouse still going to be at Kirtland with the MC-J? I've talked with a couple of King guys and they've loved it, but they said they didn't deploy/fly much in their time in the airframe (could be highly circumstantial or situational), and I'm wondering if the ops tempo is still projected to be 1:1. Also, I'd like your take on what the addition of the King II brings to the community.