321st AMOS swings for the fences in Home Plate 25-2

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Bradlee Seehawer
  • 321st Air Mobility Operations Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  

More than two dozen members of the 321st and 349th Air Mobility Operations Squadrons gathered in the 321st AMOS Weapons System Suite on January 31, 2025, to kick off Home Plate 25-2. Home Plate 25-2 is the next iteration of the 321st AMOS long-running internal exercise series.

”Ensuring 321st AMOS remains deployment-ready is about vigilance and precision, always prepared to meet any task head-on.''
Master Sgt. Ricardo Venegas, Home Plate 25-2 Aeromedical Evacuation Planner
This iteration focused on defensive military actions required in a high-intensity conflict in the INDO-PACIFIC Theater of Operations. For half of a century, the 321st AMOS has supported the INDO-PACIFIC theater, and until the early 2000s the Masterminds were solely responsible for deploying and standing up the Korean Air Mobility Division. Today, the squadron, along with the rest of the Total Force AMOS enterprise, continue to comprise most of the AMD during exercises like Freedom Shield and Ulchi Freedom Shield every year.

This is the second of three Home Plate exercises planned for Fiscal Year 2025, an increase from previous years. As part of the Department of Defense’s recent refocus on reviving the warrior ethos, the training intensity of the Masterminds exercises have increased, ensuring that the squadron is prepared to deliver mobility effects in a contested environment.

Capt. Timeer Amin, Home Plate 25-2 airlift planner and exercise control group member, wanted to test the airlift control team's ability to support missions during inclement weather as well. "They were able to adapt pretty quickly,” said Amin, admitted his surprise at how quickly the players adapted and responded to his scenario curveballs."

Men give direction in unison
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The aeromedical evacuation control team was tested with an early mass casualty scenario sending the aeromedical evacuation control team into action. "Ensuring 321st AMOS remains deployment-ready is about vigilance and precision, always prepared to meet any task head-on," said Master Sgt. Ricardo Venegas, Home Plate 25-2 aeromedical evacuation planner.

As Home Plate 25-2 concluded, members of the AMOS left the Weapons System Suite as a community of Ready Warriors even better prepared to deliver mobility effects anytime, anywhere.

The AMOS is one of the most uniquely cross-functional squadrons in Air Mobility Command. They comprise every aspect of AMC: aircrew from every airlift and air refueling platform, aeromedical evacuation specialists, plus the aerial porters, maintainers, and command post controllers that serve as the backbone of Air Mobility Support.

Experts in their tactical roles, they take on additional responsibilities when working within the Air Mobility Division of an Air Operations Center, planning and executing mobility missions across the theater to meet the objectives of the Joint Force Commander.

Deployable to any of the AOCs across the world, the challenge of the AMOS is staying proficient in the unique requirements of each AOC. Joint exercises don’t happen much in winter, so Home Plate allows the globally integrated squadron to perform a deep dive on the theater to become more familiar with their terminology, assigned aircraft, and command relationship.