trend at the North Carolina installation. The Fairchild C-123 Provider started replacing the C-119 in 1958, and in 1963, the first C-130 Hercules arrived, appropriately named "The North Carolina." 317th Tactical Airlift Wing In August 1971, the 464th inactivated and the 317th Tactical Airlift Wing administratively moved to Pope AFB from Lockbourne AFB, Ohio. Known operational squadrons and tail codes of the 317th were: 39th Tactical Airlift Squadron (PB – blue tail stripe) 40th Tactical Airlift Squadron (PG/PB – green tail stripe) 41st Tactical Airlift Squadron (PR/PB – red tail stripe) The 317th TAW flew the C-130E aircraft. After June 1972, the squadron tail codes were standardized with "PB", representing (Pope/Bragg). The drop zones, low-level routes, and dirt landing zones at Fort Bragg became familiar to many men bound for Southeast Asia. The training gained in operating in the North Carolina area immeasurably improved aircrew preparedness for combat duty. The wing was a pioneer in the use of adverse weather aerial delivery system (AWADS) equipment in active combat operations in Southeast Asia, and after the end of American involvement, trained European-based NATO aircrews in those same techniques. During the Vietnam War, Pope was the destination for the bodies of servicemen killed in Southeast Asia. When identification was confirmed, the bodies were sent to their hometowns or the appropriate military cemeteries for burial. On 1 December 1974 the Military Airlift Command took responsibility for tactical airlift and assumed command of Pope with all of its assigned units. Under MAC, the two-digit tail code designation of the 317th's aircraft was removed. On 1 January 1992 the 317th TAW was reassigned to Air Mobility Command and the wing was redesignated the 317th Operations Group as part of the new 23d Composite Wing (23d Wing) at Pope. On 1 June 1992 the 317th OG was inactivated. As part of the inactivation, its operational squadrons were dissolved as follows: 39th Airlift Squadron – Activated 1 October 1993 with the 7th Wing, Dyess AFB, Texas Replaced at Pope by the 2d Airlift Squadron assigned to the 23d Composite Wing (23d Wing) 40th Airlift Squadron – Activated 1 October 1993 with the 7th Wing, Dyess AFB, Texas 41st Airlift Squadron – Reassigned to the 23d Composite Wing (23d Wing) 23rd Wing Lessons learned in the Gulf War in 1990–1991 led senior defense planners to conclude that the structure of the military establishment created numerous command and control