When we were told, in my old ANG unit that we would give up fighters for C-130s, people thought the world ended.
20 years on and I can tell you the Herk is the greatest airplane there is. It goes anywhere and does it all. The great 4x4, SUV and RV of the sky.
Herc on short final, 3rd sweetest sound in the world.
It is a troop/materisal transport, a bomber, a gun platform without peer and when the LASER emitters are added - watch out!