The 621st Contingency Response Wing is highly-specialized in training and rapidly deploying personnel to quickly open airfields and establish, expand, sustain, and coordinate air mobility operations. From wartime taskings to disaster relief, the 621st extends Air Mobility Command's reach in deploying people and equipment around the globe.
Established in March 2005 and based at both Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. and Travis Air Force Base, Calif., the 621st consists of approximately 1500 Airmen in six groups, fourteen squadrons and more than 20 geographically separated operating locations aligned with major Army and Marine Corps combat units. The wing maintains a ready corps of light, lean and agile mobility support forces able to respond as directed by the 18th Air Force at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., in order to meet Combatant Command wartime and humanitarian requirements.
Four Contingency Response Groups (817th, 818th, 570th and 571st CRGs) provide the core cadre of expeditionary command and control, airlift and air refueling operations, aerial port, and aircraft maintenance personnel for deployment worldwide as mobility control teams and airfield assessment teams. These teams rapidly survey, assess and establish contingency air base lodgments and expand existing AMC support infrastructure worldwide. Each CRG has a Global Mobility Squadron and Global Mobility Readiness Squadron. The 818th and 571st CRGs also contain Mobility Support Advisory Squadrons.
The GMS performs aircraft quick-turn maintenance, airfield management, passenger and cargo movement, and command and control of personnel and aircraft.
The GMRS supplies threat assessment, force protection, air traffic control, weather, airfield systems maintenance, finance and contracting.
The MSAS is focused on the mutual exchange of air mobility concepts and procedures with partner nations in the development of their air mobility systems. The 818th MSAS is primarily focused on operations in Africa. The 571st MSAS is trained to operate in Central and South America.
Two other groups; the 615th and 621st Contingency Operations Support Groups, house the 573rd and 819th Global Support Squadrons, the 21st and 15th Air Mobility Operations Squadrons, and the Air Mobility Liaison Officers for the 621st CRW.
The 573rd and 819th GSS deploys contingency response forces to locations where the en-route support for AMC's global air mobility operations is insufficient or nonexistent. In garrison, the GSS manages and maintains the wing's assigned equipment as well as facilitating training for and equipping 621st CRW assigned personnel.
The AMOS' provide operational, level-of-war planning and execution of theater airlift, air refueling, and aeromedical evacuation missions. The squadrons accomplish this role by augmenting existing Air Mobility Divisions or Air and Space Operations Centers within the theater, or by standing up an independent AMD in austere environments. While performing AMD duties, AMOS personnel synchronize scheduling of all theater-owned airframes and aircrew to meet the theater commanders' mobility objectives.
The 621st CRW also includes Air Mobility Liaison Officers who provide air mobility expertise to their aligned Army/Marine brigade and division and corps level commanders.
AMLO operating locations include: Fort Drum, NY; Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune, NC; Fort Stewart and Fort Benning, GA; Fort Campbell and Fort Knox, KY; Fort Carson, CO; Fort Riley, KS; Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA; Fort Hood, TX; Fort Bliss, TX; Fort Polk, LA.; Wiesbaden and Kaiserslautern, Germany; Vicenza, Italy; Okinawa, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.
Today, more than ever, the Air Force is supporting mobility operations all over the globe. Operations such as ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM and NEW DAWN and humanitarian assistance deployments such as Hurricane Katrina and the Haiti and Pakistan Earthquake relief operations are tributes to the 621st CRW's capabilities and readiness in providing mission support whenever and wherever the requirement exists.