TOP STORY >> 314th tail flash displays historical link

By Staff Sgt. Dana J. Cable

19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Team Little Rock will soon start to notice new colors flying in the air and parked on the taxiway as the 314th Airlift Wing has designed a new flash that now officially dons one of its C-130Js. 

After more than a year of planning and coordination, a C-130 assigned to the 314th AW now displays a new completed tail flash. 

“The 314th AW 75th anniversary was this year and the new tail flash heraldry incorporates unique elements of both the wing’s World War II and Korean War combat airlift history,” said Mark Wilderman, former 314th AW historian.

Two of those unique elements being the Douglas C-47 Skytrain and the C-119 Flying Boxcar aircraft silhouettes on the left side of the tail flash. On the right side are two airdrop parachute silhouettes.

“The two parachutes represent the wing’s primary mission to provide the world’s best combat airlift training, as well as the wing’s primary historical mission of the aerial delivery of combat troops and equipment,” Wilderman said.

The 314th tail flash is trading in the old orange background, and replacing it with blue and yellow, the primary 314th AW colors. 

The blue color alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations, while yellow denotes the sun and the excellence required of Air Force personnel.  

The words “The Rock” are still the forefront of the tail flash, with the addition of a sword in the background. 

“The sword symbolizes both the wing’s commitment to the United States defense and our integral role in Air Education and Training Command,” Wilderman said.

The tail flashes will be changed over time whenever an aircraft is due for corrosion control maintenance, according to Tech. Sgt. Adrian Sauceda, 19th Maintenance Squadron NCO in charge of corrosion control.

For this first tail flash the corrosion control flight printed out vinyl stickers to be placed on the tail flash. In the future, they will be painted on.

With the new tail flash design approved, corrosion control Airmen were able to complete the tail flash in a week’s time. 

“The guys downstairs busted their butts this week and knocked it out,” Sauceda said. “They didn’t complain once, they just got it done.”