The Royal Australian Air Force last week retired its C-130H airlift fleet after 34 years of service in a ceremony at RAAF Base Richmond near Sydney, announced Australian defense officials. “C-130H Hercules have played a critical role in supporting defense personnel on operations in East Timor, Iraq, and Afghanistan,” noted Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith in a statement on Nov. 30, the same day as the retirement ceremony. The RAAF had operated a total of 12 C-130Hs, which Australia is in the process of replacing with a dozen C-130J airplanes. “The newer generation of C-130Js will carry on the legacy,” said Smith. The RAAF is currently undergoing an airlift overhaul, replacing its C-7 Caribous with 10 C-27Js in addition to acquiring six C-17s. Lockheed delivered Australia’s first C-130H in 1978, according to the release.
The Defense Department hasn’t seen an increase in domestic violence reports among military families since the new coronavirus crisis began, despite the COVID-19 pandemic reportedly causing a spike in such activity across the globe, the head of the Pentagon’s Office of Military Family Readiness Policy told reporters Oct. 29. However,…