2 Air National Guard C-27 Deploy to Afghanistan

via Key.aero

TWO OHIO Air National Guard (ANG) C-27J Spartans left Mansfield-Lahm Airport, Ohio, on July 26 for the type’s first deployment to Afghanistan with the ANG to support Operation Enduring Freedom. The first of these, 08-27012 (callsign ‘RCH579’), subsequently arrived at Prestwick Airport, Scotland, on July 28, before leaving for Bucharest, Romania, early the next day and then heading onwards to Afghanistan. The second aircraft, 08-27015 (‘RCH714’), followed it into Prestwick on the afternoon of July 29, having been delayed by technical problems. It also then became unserviceable again at Prestwick, resulting in USAF/AFRC/459th ARW KC-135R 58-0075 arriving from Italy on July 31 with spares. It finally departed for Bucharest early on August 1 to follow its partner into theatre.
Both of these C-27Js are operated by the Ohio ANG’s 179th Airlift Wing/164th Airlift Squadron, which recently became the first US Air Force unit to re-equip with the type, having previously operated the C-130 Hercules. The Afghan deployment is a join mission with aircrew from the 179th AW and soldiers from the Georgia and Oklahoma National Guard. They will be working in conjunction with the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade in direct support of the US Army for airlift and airdrop operations.

Wow.

First deployment and it breaks down while enroute?  I'm not going to call BS on this airplane or how it fits into the Air Force but why wouldn't it make more sense for the USAF to just have bought more C-130's?

UPDATE*
First deployment of US C-27's.  According to David Cenciotti (check out his blog...best coverage of the Libyan aerial conflict that I've seen on the net) and something I really should have known....Italian C-27's have been operating in Afghanistan for some time.