C-130 Hercules pilot: the joy of flying low and slow.

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As the sun slowly dips below Afghanistan's horizon, Capt. Malinda Hammond is just beginning her duty day. She walks briskly toward one of the workhorses of the Air Force fleet, a C-130 Hercules, heading to the cockpit.

After six years on active duty and two-and-a-half years in the Texas Air National Guard, she slips into the roll of aircraft commander as easily as pulling on her well-worn flight gloves.

It is a good fit for the captain who grew up around aircraft and military jargon. She is the daughter of a Marine aircraft mechanic who opened his own aircraft maintenance shop after his tour in the service ended.

"I can still remember my first flight in the backseat of my dad's Piper [Cub aircraft]," she said. "Everything looked so different from up in the air. You could see for miles. It was very peaceful. I remember thinking how cool it was: like riding a big roller coaster."

At 15, she began taking flying lessons. Those lessons led to a career in the Air Force flying the venerable Hercules, a cargo aircraft that has been ferrying service-members and cargo since the mid-1950s.

"I love the C-130 mission," the captain said. "I love flying in low and dropping troops and their equipment out of the back. Because we're a smaller airframe, we can get into the out-of-the-way locations," she said.

The C-130 is in its element over Afghanistan's rugged mountains, where it flies primarily tactical airlift missions for the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing's at Bagram Air Base. The wing provides expeditionary combat support to H.S. and coalition forces operating in the country.

When it's time to deliver cargo and people, the Hercules is perfect for landing at remote outposts in hostile areas that have only short, rough, dirt landing strips.

"The C-130 is the optimal airframe for this theater because of its short takeoff and landing capability," said Lt. Col. John Ptak, the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron commander. "This capability, coupled with the ability to airdrop supplies to troops in the field, make the airframe extremely versatile. This dual role allows the C-130 to resupply the Army in most situations and conditions."

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The flexible design of the C-130 enables aircrews to configure it for many different missions, allowing one aircraft to perform the role of many. It can carry people, palletized equipment, floor-loaded material, airdrop platforms, container delivery system bundles or vehicles.

One of Captain Hammond's more difficult missions was a medical evacuation.

"We were moving an injured patient out of Mosul, Iraq. He had an open chest wound and I was so afraid he was going to die before we could get him to the hospital at Balad Air Base. The toughest part is when you come face to face with the phrase, 'and some gave their all.'" she said.

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The aircraft commander takes her job very seriously.

"I am the final authority for any decision," the captain said. "l must balance the mission and my crew. What I mean by that is I must do everything I can to make sure the mission gets accomplished, but not at the expense of my crewmembers."

Captain Hammond is well-suited for the job, which may be due in part to her family history of military service, although she is the first woman in the family to serve.

"I love the freedom of flying, and I love flying the C-130," she said. "It has taken me to some great places and great experiences.

"I joined the military so I could live and fly all over the world," she said.

That's just what she is doing, low and slow.

DEPLOYED UNIT:

455th Air Expeditionary Wing Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan

HOME UNIT AND BASE:

136th Airlift Wing Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas 

HOMETOWN:

Gadsden, Ala.

DEPLOYMENTS:

Seven

BY MASTER SGT. KIMBERLY SPENCER AND PHOTOS BY MASTER SGT. DEMETRIUS LESTER