US Air Force Special Operations Command officials announced a popular name change for the MC-130J special operations tanker/airlifter on 9 March 2012. The new nickname, Commando II, honors the Air Commando legacy as well as the legacy of the World War II-era Curtiss C-46 transport, the original Commando. Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel, AFSOC commander, in the memorandum requesting the change, noted the new name "embodies the broader linage of special operations force aircraft." The MC-130J was previously known as Combat Shadow II. Alternate names considered included Combat Knife and Combat Arrow. The process for requesting the name change began in September of 2011 and was reviewed by the Air Force Judge Advocate General and Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs.
