Sgt. Matthew D. Hunter 31 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Valley Grove, West Virginia Killed when a roadside bomb detonated near his dismounted patrol during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 23, 2006

Cpl. Romulo J. Jimenez II 21 Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force Bellington, West Virginia Died as the result of enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq, on November 10, 2004

Sgt. Brian C. Karim 22 Company A, 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division Talcott, West Virginia One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee during combat operations in Taji, Iraq, on December 13, 2005

Sgt. 1st Class Otie J. McVey 53 706th Transportation Company, Army Reserve Oak Hill, West Virginia McVey was medically evacuated from Baghdad, Iraq, on September 23, 2004, for treatment of a non-combat related illness. He died on November 7, 2004, in Beaver, West Virginia.

Lance Cpl. Bradley L. Parker 19 Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force Marion, West Virginia Died as result of enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq, on November 15, 2004

Cpl. Bryan J. Richardson 23 Company K, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve Summersville, West Virginia Died as a result of hostile action in Anbar province, Iraq, on March 23, 2005

Staff Sgt. Stephen A. Seale 25 2nd Brigade Troop Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Grafton, West Virginia One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on August 6, 2006

Pfc. Ernest Harold Sutphin 21 Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery, 25th Infantry Division Parkersburg, West Virginia Died in Landstuhl, Germany, on March 18, 2004, of injuries sustained in a vehicle incident in Kirkuk, Iraq, on March 11, 2004

Sgt. DeForest L. Talbert 24 Company C, 1st Battalion, 150th Armor Regiment, West Virginia Army National Guard Charleston, West Virginia Died when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle in Balad, Iraq, on July 27, 2004

Staff Sgt. Roger C. Turner Jr. 37 Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division Parkersburg, West Virginia Killed in a rocket attack on Logistics Support Area Anaconda in Balad, Iraq, on February 1, 2004

Pfc. Brian S. Ulbrich 23 L Troop, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment Chapmanville, West Virginia One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their military vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on June 5, 2005

Staff Sgt. Darren D. VanKomen 33 A Troop, 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), 25th Infantry Division Bluefield, West Virginia Killed when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive inside the mess hall at Camp Marez in Mosul, Iraq, on December 21, 2004

Cpl. Joshua S. Wilfong 22 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force Walker, West Virginia Died due to hostile action in Anbar province, Iraq, on April 30, 2004

Staff Sgt. Anissa A. Shero 31 15th Special Operations Squadron, 16th Special Operations Wing Grafton, West Virginia Killed when an Air Force MC-130H Combat Talon II transport plane crashed on takeoff in eastern Afghanistan on June 12, 2002

Mission

The mission of the MC-130E Combat Talon I and MC-130H Combat Talon II is to provide global, day, night and adverse weather capability to airdrop and airland personnel and equipment in support of U.S. and allied special operations forces. The MC-130E also has a deep penetrating helicopter refueling role during special operations missions.

Features

These aircraft are equipped with in-flight refueling equipment, terrain-following, terrain-avoidance radar, an inertial and global positioning satellite navigation system, and a high-speed aerial delivery system.

The special navigation and aerial delivery systems are used to locate small drop zones and deliver people or equipment with greater accuracy and at higher speeds than possible with a standard C-130. The aircraft is able to penetrate hostile airspace at low altitudes and crews are specially trained in night and adverse weather operations.

Nine of the MC-130E's are equipped with surface-to-air Fulton air recovery system, a safe, rapid method of recovering personnel or equipment from either land or water. It involves use of a large, helium-filled balloon used to raise a 450-foot (136.5 meters) nylon lift line. The MC-130E flies towards the lift line at 150 miles per hour (240 kilometers per hour), snags it with scissors-like arms located on the aircraft nose and the person or equipment is lifted off, experiencing less shock than that caused by a parachute opening. Aircrew members then use a hydraulic winch to pull the person or equipment aboard through the open rear cargo door.

The MC-130H features highly automated controls and displays to reduce crew size and work load. The cockpit and cargo areas are compatible with night vision goggles. The integrated control and display subsystem combines basic aircraft flight, tactical and mission sensor data into a comprehensive set of display formats that assists each operator performing tasks.

The pilot and co-pilot displays on the cockpit instrument panel and the navigator/electronic warfare operator console, on the aft portion of the flight deck, have two video displays and a data-entry keyboard. The electronic warfare operator has one video display dedicated to electronic warfare data.

The primary pilot and co-pilot display formats include basic flight instrumentation and situational data. The display formats are available with symbology alone or with symbology overlaid with sensor video.

The navigator uses radar ground map displays, forward-looking infrared display, tabular mission management displays and equipment status information. The electronic warfare operator's displays are used for viewing the electronic warfare data and to supplement the navigators in certain critical phases.

Background

During Desert Storm, the MC-130E Combat Talon I played a vital role. One third of all airdrops in the first three weeks of the war were performed by MC-130s. Its primary role was psychological operations, as it air-dropped 11 BLU-82/B general purpose bombs and flew multiple missions air-dropping and dispersing leaflets. Its secondary role was combat search and rescue. Following the Persian Gulf war, MC-130s flew extensively in support of Operation Provide Comfort.

General Characteristics

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