It’s not as fast as the latest-model cargo jets. It can’t carry as much cargo as its sister transports and its ride can be a bit bumpy.

But the C-130 Hercules -- a 50-year-old transport -- is dependable. It can carry anything from Airmen to office supplies.

“We’re like the (pickup truck) of the Air Force,” said Capt. Marc Ayala, a C-130 co-pilot with the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. “We may not be the fastest or prettiest, but we can haul a lot of cargo and people.”

It can carry a wide variety of oversized cargo, including utility helicopters, six-wheeled armored vehicles, standard palletized cargo and dozens of troops. In its aerial delivery role, it can airdrop loads up to 42,000 pounds or use its high-flotation landing gear to land and deliver cargo on rough, dirt strips.

“We see the war pass through our cargo bay,” Captain Ayala said. “I feel the best when we drop off 50 Soldiers on their way home.”

On a recent morning, a C-130 with a crew of six Airmen took off from this desert base to fly nine sorties, carrying passengers and cargo between coalition bases. The C-130 is the backbone of the intratheater airlift in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The average sortie keeps three trucks worth of cargo off the road. That means in one day's work, these six Airmen keep 27 trucks -- and all of their support vehicles, drivers and security troops -- off Iraq’s deadly roads.

“When you see the men and women driving those convoys -- the wash of relief that comes over them as they drive through the gates at Balad, knowing they survived another day on the roads in Iraq -- it gives you a real appreciation for what C-130s and tactical airlift are trying to do,” said squadron commander Lt. Col. Dan Dagher.

The aircrew started their day with five pallets and some passengers leaving for Al Sahra. After about 30 minutes the aircraft started its descent to the destination airfield.

Once on the ground, Tech. Sgt. Joe Van Benthuysen and Airman James Stewart worked quickly to offload the cargo. When the cargo reached the Al Sahra aerial port flight, large forklifts were ready to load more pallets onto the airlift workhorse to take back to Balad.

On each leg of the trip, two loadmasters act as threat scanners, keeping their eyes peeled on the ground below.

“We keep an eye out for anyone that might fire at us,” Sergeant Van Benthuysen said.

After another quick cargo and passenger download and upload at Balad, the crew flew west into the heart of the Sunni Triangle -- to Al Taqaddum. This would be the first of three landings at Al Taqaddum for the day.

This air route is designed to reduce the number of trucks on the road between Al Asad and Al Taqaddum, one of the more dangerous routes in Iraq.

After two trips to each base, the crew parked at Al Asad and shut down the engines to take on fuel. A Marine fuel truck was waiting on the ramp, when the flight engineer, Senior Master Sgt. Ed Eyring got out of the plane to refuel it. The rest of the crew unloaded and reloaded the plane before taking a few minutes to eat a lunch of deli sandwiches, potato chips and fruit. 

Since reporting for pre-flight briefings at 8 a.m. in Balad, this was their first and only break of the day, at 4:15 p.m.

Refueled the pilot started the engines and the crew prepared for the home stretch. Once they went “wheels up,” they had two more stops to make before calling it a day.

The long missions take a team effort. At each stop the navigator works the pallet locks. Other crew members help the loadmaster push pallets on and off of the plane and help passengers get seated and settled. By working efficiently, the crew was able to make up any time they lost earlier in the day.

By the time the C-130 taxied for its ninth and final takeoff, the sun was slipping below the horizon. When the lights of Balad come into view and the plane lands and parks, it’s just a few minutes shy of 8 p.m.

It has been a long, but rewarding, day. Cargo was delivered to the people who need it, and servicemembers have gotten to their destinations safely and without incident.