An aircrew with the Illinois Air National Guard’s 182nd

An aircrew with the Illinois Air National Guard’s 182nd Airlift Wing at Peoria operates a C-130 Hercules at Young Air Assault Strip on Dec. 1, 2017, on South Post as part of training at Fort McCoy, Wis. The C-130 and crew were practicing landing and taking off from strip. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medevac, and cargo transport aircraft. The versatile airframe has found uses in a variety of other roles, including as a gunship, for airborne assault, search and rescue, scientific research support, weather reconnaissance, aerial refueling, maritime patrol, and aerial firefighting. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)