The Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the U.S. Air Force. It is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, east of St. Louis, Missouri, near Mascoutah, Illinois.
Air Mobility Command was established on 1 June 1992 and was formed from elements of the inactivated Military Airlift Command (MAC) and Strategic Air Command (SAC). AMC melded MAC's worldwide airlift system of primarily C-5 Galaxy, C-141 Starlifter (later replaced by C-17 Globemaster III beginning in 1995), and C-130 Hercules airlift aircraft with SAC's tanker force of KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender aerial refueling aircraft, the latter air refueling aircraft having been freed from their strategic nuclear strike commitment to SAC's B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer bomber fleet by the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In 2016, the Air Force Historical Research Agency consolidated the histories of AMC and MAC, extending AMC's lineage back to 1941.
Overview Air Mobility Command's mission is to provide global air mobility. The command also plays a crucial role in providing humanitarian support at home and around the world. AMC Airmen – active duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve, augmented by the civilian airliners and flight crews of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) – provide airlift and aerial refueling for all of the United States armed forces. Many special duty and operational support aircraft (OSA) and stateside aeromedical evacuation missions are also assigned to AMC.
U.S. forces must provide a rapid, tailored response that can intervene against a well-equipped foe, hit hard, and terminate quickly. Rapid global mobility lies at the heart of U.S. strategy in this environment. Without the capability to project forces, there is no conventional deterrent. As the number of U.S. forces stationed overseas continues to decline, global interests remain, making the capabilities AMC can provide even more in demand.
Air Mobility Command also has the mission of establishing bare air bases in contingencies. To accomplish this mission, AMC established two Contingency Response Wings, and operates the Eagle Flag exercise.
In addition to its status as a MAJCOM of the Air Force, AMC is also the Air Force component command of the United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM). It provides airlift, special missions, aerial refueling, and aeromedical evacuation for the United States armed forces. It also provides alert aerial refueling aircraft to the United States Strategic Command, and is a provider of theater airlift, aerial refueling, and aeromedical evacuation forces to the regional Unified Combatant Commands. AMC also operates VIP flights such as Air Force One, Air Force Two, and other Special Assignment Airlift Missions (SAAM). Finally, AMC acts as the single manager, on behalf of United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), for Military Space Available Travel.
Principal aircraft assets of the command include: C-17 Globemaster III, C-5 Galaxy, C-130 Hercules, KC-135 Stratotanker, C-40 Clipper, C-37 Gulfstream V, and the C-21 Learjet. As of 2022, the command continues to integrate the KC-46 Pegasus within air refueling wings and air mobility wings in both the Active Component and the Air Reserve Component (ARC, i.e., the Air Force Reserve Command and the Air National Guard). In 2024, AMC retired the final KC-10 Extender from its inventory.
AMC also operates and maintains additional aircraft in support of high-profile VIP airlift include: VC-25, C-32, C-20G, C-20H, C-37 and the C-38, with the majority of that mission conducted by AMC's 89th Airlift Wing.
Additional long-range airlift aircraft are available during national emergencies through the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF), a fleet of civilian commercial aircraft committed to support the transportation of military forces and material in times of crisis.
AMC wings and groups The Air Mobility Command consists of the following active duty units:
Air Operations Centers 618th Air Operations Center (Tanker Airlift Control Center) at Scott AFB, Illinois
Numbered Air Forces Eighteenth Air Force (18 AF) Twenty-First Air Force (21 AF)
Air Mobility Wings 60th Air Mobility Wing (C-5, C-17, KC-46A) at Travis AFB, California 305th Air Mobility Wing (C-17, KC-46A) at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (McGuire AFB), New Jersey 375th Air Mobility Wing (C-21, Total Force integration aircrews for the C-40, KC-135) at Scott AFB, Illinois
Airlift Wings 19th Airlift Wing (C-130J) at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas 62nd Airlift Wing (C-17) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (McChord AFB), Washington 89th Airlift Wing (C-20, C-32, C-37, C-40, VC-25) at Joint Base Andrews (Andrews AFB), Maryland 317th Airlift Wing (C-130J) at Dyess AFB, Texas 436th Airlift Wing (C-5, C-17) at Dover AFB, Delaware 437th Airlift Wing (C-17) at Joint Base Lindsey Graham (Charleston AFB), South Carolina
Air Refueling Wings 6th Air Refueling Wing (KC-135) at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida 22d Air Refueling Wing (KC-135, KC-46) at McConnell AFB, Kansas 92d Air Refueling Wing (KC-135) at Fairchild AFB, Washington
Bands USAF Band of Mid-AmericaUSAF Band of Mid-America USAF Band of the Golden WestUSAF Band of the Golden West
Museums Air Mobility Command MuseumAMC Museum at Dover AFB, Delaware McChord Museum at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (McChord AFB), Washington Travis Museum at Travis AFB, California
Direct reporting units United States Air Force Expeditionary Center at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (McGuire AFB), New Jersey
Air Base Wings and Groups 87th Air Base Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (McGuire AFB), New Jersey 627th Air Base Group at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (McChord AFB), Washington 628th Air Base Wing at Joint Base Lindsey Graham (Charleston AFB), South Carolina*
Air Mobility Operations Wings and Groups and Contingency Response Wings 43d Air Mobility Operations Group at Pope Field (former Pope AFB), North Carolina 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (Hickam AFB), Hawaii 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany 621st Contingency Response Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (McGuire AFB), New Jersey
AFRC and ANG wings and groups operationally-gained by AMC
In addition to the active duty AMC units, numerous Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) and Air National Guard (ANG) units equipped with C-5, C-17, C-21, C-38, C-40, C-130, LC-130, WC-130, KC-135 and KC-46 aircraft are "operationally gained" by AMC. These units train and exercise frequently and routinely provide augmentative operational support to AMC's active duty forces. AFRC units, when mobilized to active duty, and ANG units, when mobilized to federal service and active duty, may be deployed overseas as part of AMC in Air Expeditionary Groups and Wings as directed by HQ AMC.
Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) units
Fourth Air Force (4 AF) – March ARB, California (Air Force Reserve C-5, C-17, C-40, KC-135 units)
315th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Lindsey Graham, South Carolina C-17 Globemaster III 349th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, California C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III 433d Airlift Wing, Lackland AFB, Texas C-5 Galaxy 434th Air Refueling Wing, Grissom ARB, Indiana KC-135 Stratotanker 439th Airlift Wing, Westover ARB, Massachusetts C-5 Galaxy 445th Airlift Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio C-17 Globemaster III 446th Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Washington C-17 Globemaster III 452d Air Mobility Wing, March ARB, California C-17 Globemaster III, KC-135R Stratotanker 459th Air Refueling Wing, Andrews AFB, Maryland KC-135 Stratotanker 507th Air Refueling Wing, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma KC-135 Stratotanker
512th Airlift Wing, Dover AFB, Delaware C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III 514th Air Mobility Wing, McGuire AFB, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey C-17 Globemaster III 911th Airlift Wing, Pittsburgh IAP Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania C-17 Globemaster III 914th Air Refueling Wing, Niagara Falls ARS, New York KC-135 Stratotanker 916th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina KC-46 Pegasus 927th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill AFB, Florida KC-135 Stratotanker 931st Air Refueling Wing, McConnell AFB, Kansas KC-135 Stratotanker 940th Air Refueling Wing, Beale AFB, California KC-135 Stratotanker
Twenty-Second Air Force (22 AF) – Dobbins ARB, Georgia (Air Force Reserve C-130 and WC-130 units)
94th Airlift Wing (C-130H Hercules) Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia 302d Airlift Wing (C-130H Hercules) Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado 403d Wing (C-130J and WC-130J Super Hercules) Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi 908th Flying Training Wing (MH-139A Grey Wolf) Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama 932d Airlift Wing, Scott AFB, Illinois C-40 Clipper
NOTE: 908 AW transitioning missions; extant C-130H aircraft transferred Apr 2022
910th Airlift Wing (C-130H Hercules) Youngstown-Warren Air Reserve Station, Ohio 913th Airlift Group (C-130H Hercules) Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas 934th Airlift Wing (C-130H Hercules) Minneapolis-St Paul Joint Air Reserve Station, Minnesota
Air National Guard (ANG) units ANG air mobility units currently operate the C-21, C-17, C-38, C-40, C-130, LC-130 and KC-135, but are not assigned to a particular Numbered Air Force in the Air National Guard. Instead, they report to AMC via the National Guard Bureau (NGB).
101st Air Refueling Wing, Bangor Air National Guard Base, Maine KC-135 Stratotanker 103d Airlift Wing, Bradley International Airport, Connecticut C-130H Hercules 105th Airlift Wing, Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York C-17 Globemaster III 108th Air Refueling Wing, McGuire AFB, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey KC-135 Stratotanker 109th Airlift Wing, Stratton Air National Guard Base, New York C-130H Hercules and LC-130H Hercules 113th Wing, Joint Base Andrews, District of Columbia C-38 Courier, C-40 Clipper NOTE: Composite wing with F-16 fighter & C-38/C-40 airlift aircraft. F-16 assets gained by ACC; C-38/C-40 assets gained by AMC. 117th Air Refueling Wing, Sumpter Smith Air National Guard Base, Alabama KC-135 Stratotanker 120th Airlift Wing, Great Falls Air National Guard Base, Montana C-130H Hercules 121st Air Refueling Wing, Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Ohio KC-135 Stratotanker 123d Airlift Wing, Louisville Air National Guard Base, Kentucky C-130J Super Hercules 126th Air Refueling Wing, Scott AFB, Illinois KC-135 Stratotanker 127th Wing, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan KC-135 Stratotanker NOTE: Composite wing with A-10 fighter and KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft. A-10 assets gained by ACC; KC-135 assets gained by AMC. 128th Air Refueling Wing, General Mitchell Air National Guard Base, Wisconsin KC-135 Stratotanker 130th Airlift Wing, McLaughlin Air National Guard Base, West Virginia C-130J Super Hercules 133d Airlift Wing, Minneapolis–Saint Paul Joint Air Reserve Station, Minnesota C-130H Hercules 134th Air Refueling Wing, McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tennessee KC-135 Stratotanker 136th Airlift Wing, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas C-130J Super Hercules 139th Airlift Wing, Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, Missouri C-130H Hercules 140th Wing, Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado C-21 Learjet NOTE: Composite wing with F-16 fighter and C-21 airlift aircraft. F-16 assets gained by ACC; C-21 assets gained by AMC. 141st Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild AFB, Washington KC-135 Stratotanker
143d Airlift Wing, Quonset Air National Guard Base, Rhode Island C-130J Super Hercules 145th Airlift Wing, Charlotte Air National Guard Base, North Carolina C-17 Globemaster 146th Airlift Wing, Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, California C-130J Super Hercules 151st Air Refueling Wing, Roland R. Wright Air National Guard Base, Utah