Photo By Senior Airman Emma Anderson | A C-130J Super Hercules aircraft takes off from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 8,...... read more read more
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DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – The 317th Airlift Wing hosted the Fall 2025 C-130 Weapon System Council (WSC) on Oct. 8, 2025, uniting leaders and experts from 26 wings and staff agencies across the Total Force tactical airlift enterprise to advance warfighting capabilities and Rapid Global Mobility.
“The C-130 Weapon System Council allows for the rapid acceleration, validation, and implementation of new tactics and procedures to ensure we maintain a warfighting advantage over our adversaries,” said Col. Justin Diehl, 317th AW commander and WSC chair.
The 317th AW hosted a series of mission briefings and discussions centered on high-end readiness. The day began with a debrief of the 2025 Department-Level Exercise, where Dyess and partner wings shared lessons learned and recommendations for distributed command and control and refining command relationships across the Indo- Pacific region.
Follow-on presentations examined future operational concepts and modernization needs. The 317th AW’s Exercise BALIKATAN lead planners briefed the progression of accelerated mission sets, Joint schemes of maneuver, and projected goals for next year’s iteration with the Marines and Army in the Philippines.
Additional sessions reviewed updates to C-130J Unit Type Codes, resource alignment for distributed operations, and optimization of Ready Aircrew Program training requirements to better reflect combat realities. Maintenance leaders from Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, also shared findings from a fleet-health analysis focused on preserving long-term aircraft reliability through refined scheduling and utilization rates.
The 317th AW marked the occasion with an eight-ship C-130J launch from Dyess that demonstrated the wing’s ability to rapidly generate aircraft and execute large-scale, coordinated airlift operations while simultaneously leading enterprise-level strategic discussions.
“Through the C-130 Weapon System Council, we're bringing together leaders to strengthen collaboration, ensuring the C-130 community is ready for any mission and seamlessly integrated with our Joint partners," said Chief Master Sgt. Marty Castillo, 317th AW command chief.
The C-130 Weapon System Council provides a deliberate forum to coordinate modernization, tactics, and resourcing initiatives across active-duty, Guard, and Reserve components. By maintaining this continuous dialogue, the community ensures alignment with Air Mobility Command’s priorities and the National Defense Strategy.
“America’s tactical airlift and C-130 force is strong,” Diehl said. “The tight coordination within this group will ensure we continue developing new and innovative tactics; while ensuring we provide a solid foundation for training our newest aircrew members and maintainers.
| Date Taken: | 11.13.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.13.2025 11:38 |
| Story ID: | 551003 |
| Location: | DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 34 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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