LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- Team Little Rock celebrated the opening of the new Consolidated Fuselage Trainer (FuT) Facility with a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony Sept. 5, 2025, marking a significant milestone in the installation’s ongoing commitment to the C-130 enterprise, mission readiness, innovation, and Airmen development.
The decade long project, starting in 2014, strived to revolutionize and pioneer the way C-130 loadmasters are trained. Although this sentiment is still part of the essence of how and why the facility came to be, the innovators leading the project wanted to do more as coordination of the ribbon cutting ceremony began.
“Over 350 loadmasters will pass through annually in building 618. We build the future loadmaster giants of tomorrow,” said Col. Marty Smith, 314th Airlift Wing Commander. “Speaking of giants, the team didn’t just want to do a ribbon cutting. We wanted to give this facility a soul. We wanted to honor a loadmaster, a pioneer and legend, by dedicating the facility in their name.”
The state-of-the-art facility was dedicated to loadmasters Chief Master Sgt. John “Scotty” Henderson and Master Sgt. Jeffery “JD” Ehler.
Renamed to the Hendersen-Ehler Loadmaster Center of Excellence, the facility is 110,941 square feet, with an additional 63,886 square feet for a vehicle and equipment staging area. It houses four C-130J model fuselage trainers and three C-130H model fuselage trainers. This includes two C-130J models that are night vision device capable and can link up to simulators on base.
A FuT facility aims to simulate the rear cabin section of the C-130 aircraft. The training device is used to deliver training to loadmaster personnel on how to properly load, unload and balance cargo, cargo ramp and door operations, along with other routine and emergency procedures.
“The immersive training enhances knowledge retention, builds muscle memory, and fosters confidence, ultimately producing loadmasters capable of performing their duties to a world-class standard,” said Capt. Cory Thomas, 714th Training Squadron international military student officer and C-130J formal training unit instructor pilot. “The new trainers will also alleviate the 314th Airlift Wing from having to ground an actual aircraft on the flight line for dedicated loadmaster training.”
The renovations from idea to completion was a joint effort between Air Mobility Command, Air Education and Training Command, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 19th Civil Engineer Squadron and many other government and civilian organizations.
As Little Rock AFB continues to play a critical role as the Home of Herk Nation, the Hendersen-Ehler Loadmaster Center of Excellence underscores the base’s dedication to both honoring its heritage and investing in the future of its Airmen, mission and the C-130 enterprise.