Arrival ceremony Tuesday for new J-model

At 3 p.m. Tuesday, Ramstein will welcome its newest team member, the C-130J Super Hercules, in an arrival ceremony held on Ramstein’s Ramp 1.

The festivities will include a ribbon cutting for a new 68,000 square feet dual-bay maintenance hangar, which can hold two C-130J aircraft or one C-17.
The ceremony will be an alternate-duty location for Team Ramstein members, who are also encouraged to bring their families to witness the historic event.

“The Super Hercules brings with it a new age of tactical airlift in Europe,” said Lt. Col. Stuart Weinberger, C-130J Program Integration Office chief. “The capabilities of this aircraft will make big changes in how we do things around here.”

Several distinguished visitors will speak at the event, including Gen. Roger Brady, U.S. Air Forces Europe commander, Lt. Gen. Phil Breedlove, 3rd Air Force commander, Brig. Gen. Bill Bender, 86th Airlift Wing commander, and Col. Don Bacon, 435th Air Base Wing commander.

An open reception after the ceremony will be catered by Urban Catering of Kaiserslautern, and all in attendance will receive souvenirs.

Entrance on base can be made from the east gate. Parking will be available on Ramp 6 at the northeast corner of the airfield.