United States Air Force Expeditionary Center | |
---|---|
Active | 1 May 1994 – present |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Role | Education and Training |
Garrison/HQ | Air Mobility Command |
Commanders | |
Current Commander | Major General Christopher J. Bence |
The United States Air Force Expeditionary Center is the Air Force's Center of Excellence for advanced expeditionary combat support training and education. It consists of nine units with more than 14,000 Airmen in 28 countries worldwide.
From www.expeditionarycenter.af.mil
The U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center is the Air Force's Center of Excellence for advanced mobility and combat support training and education. Located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., the center also has direct oversight for en route and installation support, contingency response and partner capacity-building mission sets within the global mobility enterprise. The center provides administrative control for six wings and two groups within Air Mobility Command, to include the 87th Air Base Wing and the 621st Contingency Response Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, the 319th Air Base Wing at Grand Forks AFB, N.D.; the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; the 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing at Ramstein AFB, Germany; the 628th Air Base Wing at Joint Base Charleston, S.C.; the 43d Air Mobility Operations Group at Pope Field, N.C.; and 627th Air Base Group at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
The Expeditionary Operations School at the Expeditionary Center offers 92 in-residence courses and 19 web-based training courses, graduating more than 40,000 students annually. Courses include the Air Force Phoenix Raven Training, Advanced Study of Air Mobility, Aerial Port Operations Course and more.
Both the 87th Air Base Wing and the 628th Air Base Wing are Air Force lead organizations on joint bases that host AMC flying units, along with other Department of Defense partners. The 43d Air Mobility Operations Group and 627th Air Base Group enjoy unique partnerships with the U.S. Army, while the 319th Air Base Wing supports the Department of Homeland Defense and Air Combat Command emerging missions.
The 515th and 521st AMOWs, along with the 621st CRW, are responsible for en route and combat support, contingency response and partner capacity-building mission sets around the globe.
The Expeditionary Center was first opened as the Air Mobility Warfare Center on May 1, 1994, and officially received its mission on Oct. 1, 1994. At first opening, the center operated the Phoenix Ace Combat Readiness Exercise and Evaluation Course, Mobile Air Tactics School, Force Support and Readiness Course, Maintenance Training Qualification Program Course, Air Transport Manager Course, Director of Mobility Forces Course, Environmental Control Unit Course, Intermediate Wartime Contingencies Course, Cargo Operations and Systems Course, Passenger Operations and Systems Course, Command and Control Information Processing Systems Course.
The center, which was officially renamed the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center on March 4, 2007, is the Air Force's leader in expeditionary training, and on January 7, 2011, the center expanded in scope, taking added responsibility for evolving AMC mission sets.