More than 180 Airmen from the 39th Airlift Squadron at Dyess AFB, Texas, began deploying to Southwest Asia on 3 September 2013, marking the first time the unit has deployed with only C-130Js. During the six-month deployment, Airmen will be operating in US Central Command's area of responsibility, providing tactical airland and airdrop capability to theater commanders. The 39th AS, known as the Trailblazers, began conversion to the C-130J in 2010.
