One size does not fit all

  • Published
  • By Capt. Christopher Bowyer-Meeder
  • U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  

As the United States Air Force’s preeminent authority for expeditionary operations, the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center is charged with preparing Airmen for continuously evolving threats.

Members of the 423d Mobility Training Squadron, a sub-organization of the EC, take that mission seriously, which is why they are tailoring a mobile version of one of their courses to ensure they can train Airmen where the information will be most valuable.

A team responsible for preparing the three part Rapid Global Mobility Course, a professional development program focused building depth in knowledge in Air Mobility Command’s core competencies, traveled to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, to visit the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing, as well as Pacific Air Forces Airmen, to understand the current threats facing the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Area of Responsibility.

By understanding the evolving threats in the region, they are working to develop a tailored version of this leadership course as well as enhance the credibility and relevancy of their other advanced training courses. Adjusting their curriculum to be more relevant to Airmen in the INDOPACOM theater is just one way the 423d MTS is tackling Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr.’s directed Action Order-C: Understanding the Competition.

“We don’t normally take this show on the road,” Maj. Nancy Schwab, 423d MTS intelligence officer said. “An invitation at Phoenix Rally to do a Hickam interaction of RGMC III spurred our unit’s initiative to learn more about the evolving threats in this theater, and how we can use our multi-disciplined advanced training to prepare our Airmen for near-peer threats.”

Phoenix Rally, an annual conference that brings together leadership from across AMC, is an opportunity to shape the future of AMC units. During the most recent Phoenix Rally conference, Col. Jason B. Terry, 515th AMOW commander, recognized the need for a course like this to be taught to members of the 515th AMOW.

“These efforts from the 423d MTS are important for bringing education and awareness about the INDOPACOM theater,” said Terry. “They’re helping to ensure that we have AMC mobility professionals in this area of responsibility who are ready to meet the logistical wartime requirements needed to defeat our potential adversaries, and who have the ability to assure our partners and allies we are ready to provide humanitarian assistance when required.”

“It makes a 180 degree difference on actually understanding the theater that you’re supporting and knowing the intricacies and limiting factors that they’re facing in the theater versus talking about it,” said Chris Leonard, RGMC course director.

One of the largest challenges facing the 515th AMOW is the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, and the limited number of land masses to land on. By highlighting some of the challenges associated with their geographical location to the 423d MTS, the 515th AMOW and PACAF Airmen are helping shape the curriculum of the mobile RGMC III course, allowing the 423rd MTS to drive the credible, relevant expeditionary training that will ensure our Airmen and Joint partners are prepared to fight and win any conflict, anytime.

“This is what we are trying to work through,” said Leonard. “Access is everything, especially in this part of the world, because of limitations of air fields and land masses. If you’re not ahead of that game, you’ve already lost.”

The 423d MTS delivers courses ranging from force protection, intelligence, and logistics readiness, to maintenance, air transportation, aviation operations and more. This marked the first time the 423rd has ever traveled into a theater to gain first-hand insight to tailor their courses to the Airmen and Guardians that need it.

“This AOR site visit and our interactions with the AMOW on up to two combatant command staffs have already influenced our entire portfolio of courses; we are bringing back critical agile combat employment lessons learned to the Expeditionary Center, and our AOR flavored RGMC III hosted by the 515th AMOW has been setup for success. The team is excited to get the updated courseware to hand-selected personnel from across the 515th AMOW, Pacific Air Forces, and select AMC personnel in early December,” said Lt. Col. Robert Switzer, 423d Director of Operations.

RGMC is held in-residence five times a year. Additional information regarding the program can be found on the Air Force MyLearning platform under “Learn About Air Mobility Command.”