Air Force initiates Mobility Guardian exercise

The 92nd and 141st Air Refueling Wings at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington, are hosting Mobility Guardian 2019, the Air Mobility Command’s (AMC) premier exercise.

“Unmatched rapid global mobility exists because of the ready and resilient Airmen who execute the mission day in and day out,” Gen. Maryanne Miller, AMC commander, said. “Training exercises such as Mobility Guardian are critical to ensuring our Airmen are able to keep AMC’s promise to always be there for those who depend on us, both today and tomorrow.”

Through Sept. 28, there will be 46 aircraft joining aircraft from 29 international partners, along with more than 4,000 U.S. and international Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps aviators.

A range of airframes, including the KC-10 Extender, KC-135 Stratotanker, C-5 Super Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III and C-130H/J Hercules are participating in the training.

“The future of warfare will be increasingly joint,” Lt. Col. Joseph Monaco, Mobility Guardian exercise director, said. “This exercise is an unparalleled opportunity to develop joint-minded Airmen who can integrate seamlessly with Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines to compete and, if necessary, win amidst great power adversaries.”

Exercise participants are expected to emulate contested, degraded and operationally-limited environments mobility forces face now and in preparation for the future, as scenarios were designed to elicit a real-world feel while focusing on all four AMC core competencies: the diverse missions of airlift, air refueling, aeromedical evacuation, and global air mobility support.