[C-130H Total Force Integration]

Question from an outsider: do all H model guys, including gunships, go through the same FTU?

Short answer; yes

Longer answer - AFSOC/ACC guys go through an abbreviated FTU which doesnt include SKE (along with other minor differences) and then some go on to additional training either at their assigned unit (HC/EC) or elsewhere (AC/MC).

[C-130H Total Force Integration]

I've heard the Dobbins J conversion isn't still happening. The 815th J's are going to Pope instead

But we will see what ends up happening.

As far as I know the Js to Dobbins were part of the defense budget cuts proposed early last year that ultimately were stalled after significant opposition.

[C-130H Total Force Integration]

Back to the subject...here's the latest RUMINT:

LRF: 41AS, 61AS will be J. 48AS will probably take the 62AS flag. I've heard faint rumors that if the J-model PFT picks up, there's an outside possibility of a second J-model schoolhouse squadron (48AS redux?). The ANG (154TRS) will become the H-model schoolhouse. The AFRC wing will have C-130H2s and will be combat coded (likely the 913AW) and will have an AMC TFI squadron that is yet-to-be announced (prob the 50AS). 53AS will probably close.

Yokota at some point in the future will probably go J-model as well. All the RQS units will have HC-130Js and AFSOC MC-130Ps and AC-130Hs will switch to the MC-130J and AC-130J. AFSOC will keep the MC-130H, MC-130W and AC-130U for a little while longer. Several ANG units that lost their airplanes will probably get a limited number of C-130Hs...not sure which ones though.

At some point, the entire active duty USAF will be a J-model based fleet, to include AFSOC. Eventually that will happen to the ARC but most of their tails are new enough to last a while longer. I've heard the AF would really like to put the Rockwell-Collins avionics suite into their H fleet, but our f'd up procurement system is going to make that a challenge. It would give us digital avionics with CNS/ATM compliance and GPS approach capability for a fraction of the cost of the full-up Boeing AMP program. The USCG has modded their H-models with it and if you google it, it's a pretty sweet set up. Since it's purely an avionics set up and doesn't change how the rest of the airplane works, the H's will retain the FE and keep Navs onboard for tac flights.

Think theres some truth to this, a friend going through H schoolhouse now has been told they're switching to Js and theres no room for him in the -130 world so they're searching for a new airframe for him. Rumors floating around that the number was somewhere around 55 pilots slated for 130s that are now headed elsewhere or RPAs.