Editing Lockheed MC-130 (section)

===Other Combat Talon operations===

====Just Cause====
[[File:1st Special Operations Wing.svg|thumb|125px|{{center|1st SOW}}]]
Talons supported ''[[Operation Just Cause]]'', the United States invasion of [[Panama]] in December 1989 and January 1990.<ref name="fact"/> Three MC-130Es of the 1st Special Operations Wing deployed to [[Hunter Army Air Field]], Georgia within 48 hours of being alerted, then airlanded Rangers of the [[75th Ranger Regiment (United States)|2nd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment]] into [[Rio Hato]] Military Airfield on 18 December 1989. The operation was conducted under total blackout conditions, using night vision goggles, 35 minutes after the opening parachute assault. One of the MC-130s had an engine disabled by a ground obstruction while taxiing, then made an NVG takeoff on three engines under intense ground fire, earning its pilot the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]. The lead Talon, the only MC-130E equipped with the Benson tank refueling system, remained on the airfield as a Forward Area Refueling and Rearming Point (FARRP) for U.S. Army [[Hughes OH-6 Cayuse|OH-6]] helicopters.<ref>Thigpen (2001), pp. 323–330.</ref> When Panamanian General [[Manuel Noriega]] surrendered on 3 January, he was immediately flown to [[Homestead Air Force Base]], Florida, by a Combat Talon.<ref>Thigpen (2001), p. 335. Maj. David L. "Skip" Davenport was awarded the DFC at Rio Hato, and also flew Noriega to the United States.</ref>

====Desert Storm====
[[File:MC130E.jpg|thumb|MC-130E Combat Talon I of 711th SOS, 1996–present]]
The 1990 [[invasion of Kuwait]] by [[Iraq]] resulted in the deployment of four Combat Talons and six crews of the 8th SOS in August 1990 to [[King Fahd International Airport]] in Saudi Arabia as a component of ''[[Gulf War#Operation Desert Shield|Operation Desert Shield]]''.<ref>Thigpen (2001), p. 345. 64-0559, −0562, −0567, and −0568.</ref> During ''[[Operation Desert Storm]]'', the combat phase of the [[Gulf War]] in January and February 1991, the Combat Talon performed one-third of all [[airdrop]]s during the campaign, and participated in psychological operations, flying 15 leaflet-drop missions before and throughout the war.<ref name="fact"/> Combat Talon crews also conducted five [[BLU-82]]B "Daisy Cutter" missions during the two weeks preceding the onset of the ground campaign, dropping 11 bombs on Iraqi positions at night from altitudes between {{convert|16000|ft|abbr=on}} and {{convert|21000|ft|abbr=on}}, once in concert with a bombardment by the battleship [[USS Wisconsin (BB-64)|USS ''Wisconsin'']].<ref>Thigpen (2001), pp. 264–265.</ref>

Two 7th SOS Talons deployed to [[Incirlik Air Base]], Turkey, as part of ''Operation Proven Force''. They supported the first [[search and rescue|Joint Search and Rescue]] mission over Iraq, attempting to recover the crew of ''Corvette 03'', a downed [[F-15E Strike Eagle]]. However permission from the Turkish government to fly the mission was delayed for 24 hours, and the crew was not recovered.<ref>Thigpen (2001), p. 361. After the war it was found that both F-15E crewmen had died in the crash.</ref>