Air Mobility Operations Squadron airmen participate in the Global Air Mobility Division Summit

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Bradlee Seehawer
  • 321st Air Mobility Operations Squadron
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  

Air mobility division chiefs and total force members of air mobility operations squadrons gathered at the Air Force Expeditionary Center from April 17-18, 2024 to participate in the Global Air Mobility Division Summit.

The air operations center is the senior command and control element of the U.S. Air Force's theater air control system. Within the AOC, the AMD plans and executes theater mobility aircraft to meet combatant commander requirements. It is the only AOC division that is functionally managed by AMC and the only division that has active-duty squadrons, the 321st and 621st AMOS, postured to augment the AOC in times of crisis and contingency alongside partner Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units.

The 321st and 621st AMOS’s organized the conference, the first in seven years. Comprised of two dozen different USAF specialties, the two active-duty AMOS serve as continuity between U.S. Transportation Command and the theaters they augment, delivering lethal warfighting capabilities to the theater when called upon. Administratively assigned to the 621st Contingency Response Wing, they are part of AMC’s strategy to provide meaningful maneuver to the joint force.

“Getting these leaders into the same room rarely ever happens,” Capt. Blythe Smith, 321 AMOS event coordinator said. “You don’t realize how many unique missions each AMD supports. It was great to be able to meet people outside of a video teleconference and help shape the future of the AOC. “

Working with functional managers and expeditionary center leadership, coordinators built an agenda that maximized collaboration and crosstalk opportunities. Attendees shared updates about current operations in their area of responsibility, discussed challenges standardizing tool within the weapons system, and common themes with delivering mobility in different theaters.

Rapid global mobility is unique in the AOC in that it is primarily managed by U.S. Transportation Command, so air mobility divisions must consider the global needs for air mobility while they build their theater plan to provide airlift, air refueling, and aeromedical evacuation to meet the objectives of the Joint Force Commander.