The Royal Australian Air Force marked ten years of continuous C-130 operations in the Middle East Area of Operations, or MEAO, on 11 February 2013. Since 11 February 2003 when the first two Australian C-130H aircraft and crews arrived in the MEAO to support Operation Bastille, the RAAF has supported operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Over the period, 37 Squadron C-130H and C-130J crews from RAAF Richmond near Sydney have transported 220,200 passengers and 47,000 tons of cargo in the Middle East and flown more than 4,600 missions. Currently, the deployment consists of two C-130J Super Hercules based at Al Minhad AB in the United Arab Emirates, and a detachment of approximately fifty maintenance and support personnel.
