USAFEC command team visits Airmen from the 521st AMOG, 725th AMS

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  • U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center Public Affairs

United States Air Force Expeditionary Center commander, Maj. Gen. John Klein, and USAFEC command chief, Chief Master Sgt. Courtney Freeman, traveled to Naval Station Rota, Feb. 20, 2023, as part of a unit immersion where they gained a first-hand perspective of what their units are doing to project, connect, maneuver and sustain the joint force. 

During the visit, the leadership team received several briefings from members of the 521st Air Mobility Operations Group and 725th Air Mobility Squadron that highlighted their progress towards evolving into the Next Generation Air Mobility Operations Wing, or NextGen AMOW. 

“One of my top priorities is the shift in mindset to a war-fighting priority,” said Col. Dawson Brumbelow, 521st AMOG commander. Paraphrasing a quote attributed to an anonymous Navy SEAL, he went on to say, “you can rise to the occasion in terms of character and will, but you will sink to the level of your training.”

One key organizational change for the NextGen AMOW is the development of Air Mobility Teams. These teams will be small groups of aerial porters and aircraft maintainers that can deploy as a pre-built force package at a moment’s notice as opposed to building a team ad hoc when a crisis arises. One of the primary ways the 521st AMOG is evolving to support these AMTs is by leveraging commercial, off-the-shelf technologies to arm the 521st AMOG Airmen with capabilities that will allow them to continue supporting the mission at forward locations.

“We’re currently looking at virtual reality technology like the Microsoft HoloLens that will provide a second set of eyes to our Airmen as they’re working on aircraft,” said Col. Dan Cooley, 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing commander. “A 7-level maintainer from a geographically separated unit will have the opportunity to provide virtual over the shoulder support from over the horizon.”

As units that make up the Global Air Mobility Support System, including those that fall under the 521st AMOW, work towards leveraging these new ways to keep Airmen on the leading edge of evolving technologies, they’re supporting the USAFEC strategy to organize, train and equip Airmen for expeditionary warfare.

“The Global Air Mobility Support System is the foundation of Air Mobility Command’s charge to deliver Rapid Global Mobility for our nation. We could not do that without our forward-positioned Airmen that comprise out Air Mobility Operations Wings,” said Klein. “As we organize, train and equip our Airmen for expeditionary warfare, I’m committed to ensuring the bases they operate from have the tools they need to ensure victory in a high-end fight.”