Combat Spears. The variant was retired in July 2022. Operators United States Air Force Detachment 2, 14th Air Commando Wing – Nha Trang Air Base, South Vietnam 1967–1968 8th Tactical Fighter Wing – Ubon/Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand 1968–1975 16th Special Operations Squadron 1st Special Operations Wing – Hurlburt Field, Florida 1975–1993, 2006–present 4th Special Operations Squadron 2006–present 8th Special Operations Squadron 1975 16th Special Operations Squadron 1975–1993, 2006–2007 18th Flight Test Squadron 1991–1993, 2006–2017 19th Special Operations Squadron 2006–2017 73d Special Operations Squadron 2018–present 16th Special Operations Wing – Hurlburt Field, Florida 1993–2006 4th Special Operations Squadron 1995–2006 16th Special Operations Squadron 18th Flight Test Squadron 19th Special Operations Squadron 1996–2006 27th Special Operations Wing – Cannon AFB, New Mexico 2007– 16th Special Operations Squadron 73d Special Operations Squadron 2007–2015 551st Special Operations Squadron 46th Test Wing – Eglin AFB, Florida 2014–present 413th Flight Test Squadron 412th Test Wing – Edwards AFB, California 1990–1995 418th Flight Test Squadron 492d Special Operations Wing – Hurlburt Field, Florida 2017–present 18th Flight Test Squadron 19th Special Operations Squadron 919th Special Operations Wing – Duke Field, Florida 1975–1995 711th Special Operations Squadron Aircraft on display One of the first seven AC-130A aircraft deployed to Vietnam was AF serial no. 53–3129, named First Lady in November 1970. This aircraft was a conversion of the first production C-130. On 25 March 1971, it took an anti-aircraft artillery hit in the belly just aft of the nose gear wheel well over the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos. The 37 mm shell destroyed everything below the crew deck and barely missed striking two crew members. The pilot was able to crash land the aircraft safely. In 1975, after the conclusion of US involvement in the Vietnam war, it was transferred to the Air Force Reserve, where it served with the 711th Special Operations Squadron of the 919th Special Operations Wing. In 1980, the aircraft was upgraded from the original three-bladed propellers to the quieter four-bladed propellers and was eventually retired in late 1995. The retirement also marked an end to the Air Force Reserve Command flying the AC-130A. The aircraft now sits on display in the final Air Force Reserve Command configuration with grey paint, black markings, and the four-bladed Hamilton Sunstrand 54H60-91 props at the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, USA. A second aircraft, AF serial no. 56–0509,