Last Squadron Leaving El Toro for Miramar

EL TORO —  Capt. John Koury will ease the wheels of his KC-130 Hercules off the runway at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station today for its final flight from Orange County, as the base’s last active-duty squadron leaves the base for good.

Koury’s entourage consists of 10 of the Marines’ workhorse aircraft and a squadron of 300 pilots, mechanics and support crews heading to their new home at Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego.

Two small reserve helicopter squadrons remaining at the base will be transferred later this month as the Marines approach the July deadline for closing El Toro, in its heyday one of the nation’s most active military bases.

The first KC-130 was delivered to El Toro in 1961. A Vietnam-vintage aircraft, its primary mission is in-flight and ground refueling, and it can transport up to 150 troops or a bellyful of cargo. Though huge, at nearly 100 feet long, the plane is capable of taking off and landing from short, dirt airfields.

Its reliability and size have led some to refer to the plane as the Volkswagen bus of aircraft. Koury said it’s more like a Chevy Suburban--large but maneuverable. The four-engine craft is considered among the most durable in the fleet.

In 1992, the planes refueled helicopters taking food to Somalia. During the Persian Gulf war, 13 of the planes left El Toro for Bahrain, where they refueled Navy and Marine jets.

About 260 planes and helicopters will be transferred to Miramar, which is about five times larger than El Toro and has twice the military personnel. An additional 49 Marine helicopters will move to Camp Pendleton.