An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Aug. 11, 2023

Pennsylvania Air Guard Gets New Special Ops Aircraft

By Capt. Susan Penning, 193rd Special Operations Wing

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - The Pennsylvania Air National Guard’s 193rd Special Operations Wing accepted a new MC-130J Commando II military aircraft during a July 27 ceremony.

The 193rd SOW is the first — and currently the only — ANG unit to receive the MC-130J Commando II mission, a core, flagship mission of Air Force Special Operations Command. 

According to military officials, the aircraft’s capabilities put the 193rd SOW — one of the most deployed wings in the National Guard — at the forefront of the battlespace to meet today’s special operation needs.

The ceremony featured prominent guest speakers, including Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, AFSOC commander; Lt. Gen. Michael Loh, ANG director; Brig. Gen. Michael Regan, Pennsylvania National Guard deputy adjutant general – air; Col. Edward Fink, 193rd SOW commander; and Bill Bassett, Lockheed Martin director of special missions programs. Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, the adjutant general of Pennsylvania, also attended.

“Today is a great day for Pennsylvania, our Air Force and the 193rd Special Operations Wing,” Regan said. “But an aircraft is just an aircraft until our highly trained Airmen climb in. That’s what turns it into a weapons system. This is the right time and the right place for this mission.”

The MC-130J Commando II flies clandestine single or multi-ship, low-level infiltration, exfiltration and resupply of special operations forces and air refueling missions for special operations helicopters and tiltrotor aircraft. 

The MC-130J primarily flies missions at night. Its secondary mission includes the airdrop of leaflets.

“The 193rd Special Operations Wing is poised to make history … again,” Bauernfeind said. “I’m confident this wing will continue to be the vanguard of our freedom anytime, anywhere.”

The 193rd SOW commemorated the sunset of its previous EC-130J Commando Solo mission with a final broadcast during the Community Days Air Show event in Lancaster last year. Wing leaders say personnel have been training on the new mission ever since. “This new mission represents the next chapter in this wing’s proud legacy,” Fink said.

The wing’s former EC-130J Commando Solo mission focused on information operations via broadcasts on FM, TV and military communications bands. Although effective in the past, it may no longer be how an intended audience gets its messaging. Based on the wing’s seven EC-130 aircraft being “J” models with relatively low flight hours, all seven aircraft are being retained as C-130s and distributed to other major commands and joint partners.

Wing officials said the transition to the MC-130J Commando II mission should result in a net neutral change in aircraft and personnel.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Airmen with the 193rd Special Operations Wing conducted routine Launch the Fleet training from Harrisburg International Airport in Middletown, Pennsylvania, September 11, 2025, timed to commemorate Patriot Day. This formation flight of six MC-130J Commando II aircraft followed a route visible to many in Central Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Air Guard Commemorates Patriot Day With Formation Training Flight
By Sgt. 1st Class Zane Craig, | Sept. 12, 2025
MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – Pennsylvania Air National Guard’s 193rd Special Operations Wing conducted routine Launch the Fleet training Sept. 11, timed to commemorate Patriot Day.This formation flight of six MC-130J Commando II...

An MC-130J Commando II arrives at the 193rd Special Operations Wing in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Feb. 2, 2023. The 193rd SOW is beginning to its new primary mission as the first and currently only Air National Guard unit to operate the Commando II.
193rd Special Operations Wing Welcomes New Aircraft, Mission
By Master Sgt. Alexander Farver, | Feb. 7, 2023
MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – The 193rd Special Operations Wing became the first Air National Guard unit to receive an MC-130J Commando II aircraft Feb. 2 as part of its mission conversion to a flagship mission of Air Force Special...

Pennsylvania Air National Guardsmen with the 258th Combat Airfield Operations Squadron out of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, pose for a photo at Palau’s International Airport with the local liaison officer during Exercise Resolute Force Pacific 2025 Aug.13, 2025. The 258th Combat Airfield Operations Squadron is a geographically separated unit of the 171st Air Refueling Wing and serves an essential mission by providing air traffic control services both stateside and overseas to civil, military, and even presidential aircraft while also maintaining mobile readiness to deploy. (U.S. Air National Guard Photo)
Pennsylvania Air Guard Guides Skies at Exercise Resolute Force Pacific 2025
By Shawn Monk, | Sept. 3, 2025
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - Four Airmen from the Pennsylvania Air National Guard’s 258th Combat Airfield Operations Squadron, based in Johnstown, recently traveled thousands of miles to take control of the skies over the Pacific island...