page_title: Delaware Air National Guard
section_title: Persian Gulf
hierarchical_section_title: Delaware Air National Guard / History / Persian Gulf
caption_attribution_description: A U.S. Air Force Lockheed C-130H-LM Hercules (s/n 84-0213) from the 142nd Airlift Squadron, 166th Airlift Wing, Delaware Air National Guard moments after landing on 5 June 2008 at New Castle Air National Guard Base, Delaware (USA). Unit aircrew flew the aircraft past the 10,000 flying hour milestone, the first C-130H aircraft in the unit's inventory to reach this mark. The fleet of C-130H aircraft arrived factory-fresh in the mid-1980s to New Castle ANGB.
context_page_description: The Delaware Air National Guard is the aerial militia of the State of Delaware, United States of America. It is, along with the Delaware Army National Guard, an element of the Delaware National Guard.
  As state militia units, the units in the Delaware Air National Guard are not in the normal United States Air Force chain of command. They are under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Delaware through the office of the Delaware Adjutant General unless they are federalized by order of the President of the United States. The Delaware Air National Guard is headquartered at New Castle Air National Guard Base, and its commander was Brigadier General Carol A. Timmons.
  The Delaware Air National Guard is an Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. Delaware ANG units are trained and equipped by the Air Force and are operationally gained by a Major Command of the USAF if federalized. In addition, the Delaware Air National Guard forces are assigned to Air Expeditionary Forces and are subject to deployment tasking orders along with their active duty and Air Force Reserve counterparts in their assigned cycle deployment window.
context_section_description: During the 1991 Gulf War, the Headquarters 166th Tactical Airlift Group, 166th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, and the 142nd Tactical Airlift Squadron were activated in January 1991 involving over 275 Air Guard members. Shortly thereafter, members of the 166th Tactical Clinic were also called upon, bringing the total Air Guard involvement to over 350. All eight C-130 Hercules aircraft were deployed with the Air Guard to the Persian Gulf. The Air Guard merged with the 1670th Tactical Airlift Group (Provisional) at Prince Sultan Air Base (Al Kharj), part of the largest composite U.S. Air Force wing in the entire Persian Gulf area. The unit flew missions carrying personnel and fuel bladders critical to destroying the Iraqi Republican Guard. They were also one of the first crews that flew into Kuwait International Airport to begin rebuilding. In May, they moved a significant portion of the Shiite Muslim refugees to a camp in Saudi Arabia السعودية. In January and February personnel from the 166th Civil Engineering Squadron were also tasked with the 100% enlargement of the mortuary facility at Dover Air Force Base.
  Brig. Gen. (then Lieutenant Colonel) Ernest Talbert served in combat zones in Southwest Asia as a C-130 pilot in support of Operation Desert Storm. On 11 Nov 2005 he became the first African-American general in the history of the Delaware National Guard. Upon his retirement as Chief of Staff, Headquarters, Delaware Air National Guard on 11 Jan 2009, Brig. Gen. Talbert received the honorary rank of major general. Maj. Gen. Hugh T. Broomall, Special Assistant to the Director, Air National Guard, spoke of General Talbert's military career of 36 years, 30 of which were in the Delaware Guard:
  Ernie Talbert's career is the clearest proof we have in the Delaware National Guard that outstanding performance merits ever higher positions of leadership. Delaware and the nation should be proud of General Talbert's career contributions, including his mentoring of dozens of Airmen, his wartime combat service and leadership, and his steadfast devotion to those who serve in the Delaware National Guard and wear the uniform of the U.S. Military. General Talbert has upheld his oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Delaware against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
  The Delaware Air National Guard units returned on 31 May 1991.
caption: A C-130H of the 142nd Airlift Squadron, 166th Airlift Wing at New Castle ANGB, 2008
exif: {}