Pope AFB down to 6 fully capable C-130s

The other Pope may have more planes immediately available than the 82nd.

FtBraggNC.com reports:

Pope Air Force Base is down to six fully capable C-130 Hercules cargo airplanes because of maintenance problems.

The rest of the 43rd Airlift Wing's 31 airplanes are grounded, restricted or unavailable because of deployment or depot maintenance. said 1st Lt. Mark W. Hanson, a Pope spokesman.

The limits at Pope are similar to those of older C-130 airplanes throughout the Air Force.

Now, if the 82nd is needed for a rapid response, planes must be flown in from elsewhere.

If you want your country's rapid response force to be ready to deploy anywhere in the world as needed on 18 hours notice (only the Airborne can get boots on the ground -- anywhere in the world -- this fast), PLEASE write your representative in DC, asking that he support the C-130J funding.

Guarding the Vatican Air Space