A Lockheed WC-130 Hercules aircraft from the 156th Airlift Wing unit of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard crashed Wednesday in Chatham County, Georgia on a highway just outside Savannah.
Details on the deadly aviation are still unfolding as officials respond to the crash, but at least five people are dead.
What is the 156th unit?
The 156th is the primary unit of the island's National Guard outfit, stationed at Muñiz Air National Guard Base, according to its website.
How large is the unit?
There are 1,200 members of the 156th. They call themselves "Bucaneros," roughly Spanish for "Buccaneers."
The head of the 156th is Col. Raymond Figueroa.
What is the unit’s function?
The post had six WC-130 aircraft as of April 2016, according to Figueroa's military biography online.
The 156th has several squadrons that perform all sorts of functions, including civil engineering, logistics readiness and force support.
When not mobilized or under federal control, the unit reports to the governor of the state where the base is located.
There are 54 National Guard operations in all.
Credit: IAFF574 Savannah
Credit: IAFF574 Savannah
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