{"id":33726,"date":"2019-09-10T23:43:29","date_gmt":"2019-09-10T23:43:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/09\/10\/how-to-airlift-under-fire-amc-launches-major-mobility-guardian-exercise\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:58:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:58:56","slug":"how-to-airlift-under-fire-amc-launches-major-mobility-guardian-exercise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2019\/09\/10\/how-to-airlift-under-fire-amc-launches-major-mobility-guardian-exercise\/","title":{"rendered":"How to airlift under fire: AMC launches major Mobility Guardian exercise"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Air Mobility Command on Sunday began its second Mobility Guardian exercise<\/a> \u2014 its largest readiness exercise to date \u2014 including a vast array of large transport and refueling aircraft and more than 4,000 aviators from multiple services and nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mobility Guardian<\/a> 2019 is intended to allow mobility aviators to practice their skills in simulations of real-world, challenging scenarios<\/a> that they would likely face during a conflict, including \u201ccontested, degraded and operationally limited environments,\u201d AMC said in a Monday release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exercises will help aviators practice airlift, air refueling, aeromedical evacuation and global air mobility support during forcible entry, airfield seizure, strategic deterrence and humanitarian relief operations, AMC said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Various components of the Air Force, to include Air Combat Command, have increasingly focused on practicing how they might deploy and carry out their missions in contested environments, all part of the Pentagon\u2019s renewed focus on a return to \u201cgreat power competition.\u201d If a conflict were to break out with a major nation such as China or Russia, Air Force leaders have said they cannot count on using established, well-defended bases or flying in largely uncontested airspace, and must be ready to operate in challenging conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mobility Guardian, which will run until Sept. 28 at Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington, will include 46 U.S. aircraft \u2014 including the KC-10 Extender, KC-135 Stratotanker, C-5 Super Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III and the H and J variants of the C-130 Hercules, as well as planes from 29 allied nations, AMC said. The 4,000 participating aviators will include 2,500 from AMC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnmatched rapid global mobility exists because of the ready and resilient airmen who execute the mission day in and day out,\u201d Gen. Maryanne Miller, AMC\u2019s commander, said in the release. \u201cTraining exercises such as Mobility Guardian are critical to ensuring our airmen are able to keep AMC\u2019s promise to always be there for those who depend on us, both today and tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t