Chief of Staff Gen David Allvin standing on conference stage with a large slide Titled ENDURING & ESSENTIAL with a map and a pop out image of a tank with supplies. The logo America's Wings of Freedom, Airlift/Tanker Association logo on both sides.
Chief of Staff Gen David Allvin speaks to more than 1,000 Airmen, community leaders, and industry partners during the 56th Annual Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium, Nov. 2, 2024, Grapevine, TX. USAF photo by SSgt Dalton Williams
Gen Johnny Lamontagne, in uniform smiling at an audience.
Gen Johnny Lamontagne, Air Mobility Command Commander, speaks to Airmen during the Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium, Oct. 31, 2024, Grapevine, TX. USAF photo by SSgt Dalton Williams
Lt. Gen John Healy, in uniform speaking at a conference.
Lt Gen. John Healy, Chief of the Air Force Reserve and Air Force Reserve Command Commander. USAF photo by SSgt Dalton Williams
CMSgt Jamie Newman and CMSgt Israel Nunez with a microphone are both at a symposium. Both are in their uniforms.
CMSgt Jamie Newman, Air Mobility Command Command Chief, and CMSgt Israel Nuñez, Air Force Reserve Command Command Chief, address Airmen at the Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium, Nov. 1, 2024, Grapevine, TX. USAF photo by SSgt Dalton Williams

Ready Inside and Out: Takeaways of the 2024 Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium

By Mrs. Lauren Fosnot, Staff Writer

The 56th Annual Airlift/Tanker Association (A/TA) Symposium, held in Grapevine, Texas, from October 31 to November 3, 2024, gathered more than 1,000 Airmen, industry partners, and leaders across the Air Force and Joint Forces. The focus was ensuring that the United States increases readiness to face global challenges and continues to reoptimize for the Great Power Competition.

At this year’s highly anticipated symposium, newly appointed Air Mobility Command (AMC) commander Gen Johnny Lamontagne underscored the role of air power in securing victory in future conflicts, emphasizing that mobility forces would be essential to this effort. “Air Power will be the key to decisive victory in future conflict, and our mobility forces will undoubtedly lead the charge,” the commander shared with the A/TA.

It is no secret that the nation’s readiness relies on the physical and mental resiliency of today’s mobility Airmen. Thus, the commander kicked off the anticipated symposium with a keynote speech on resiliency. “It starts and ends with the Airmen,” he said, defining the role of mission-ready Airmen as those who are empowered to keep themselves and each other accountable to lead resiliently, always prepared to step up when needed. “Airmen” are the first component of the Commander’s Intent, along with the other two categories: “Mission” and “Commitment.” This year’s symposium was a chance to lay out AMC’s increasing focus in these areas through expanding opportunities for securing nuclear mission, strengthening digital connectivity, and updating AMC’s structure and capabilities where needed. Under Lamontagne’s leadership, AMC aims to cultivate resiliency in its people and platforms to have an operationally prepared force.

Showcasing these Intents is Mobility Guardian, AMC’s largest full-spectrum readiness exercise. Lamontagne announced that this exercise’s next iteration is scheduled for summer 2025 in the Indo-Pacific region. This large-scale exercise will allow Airmen to demonstrate their resilience and adaptiveness in complex, high-stakes scenarios, further solidifying AMC’s role in securing the nation’s mobility advantage.

These priorities were also reinforced by the Department of Defense’s leadership throughout the symposium. For example, many speakers focused on an essential aspect of Airmen readiness—family readiness. Leadership spoke to the resources available and the importance of AMC supporting families to strengthen the Airmen, their families, and AMC as a whole. Resilient families help build forces that are ready to surge when needed. As another example, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall addressed readiness in the context of aligning mobility force capabilities with the evolving threat landscape. “For a long time, we’ve been able to operate relatively freely
China has, like the Soviet Union, adapted. So must we,” Kendall stated. This call to adapt resonated strongly as the AMC continues to prepare for the contested environments they may face in the near future. Adding to this sense of urgency, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen David Allvin stated that “this” is the Mobility moment. Mobility Airmen are not only writing the story for the now but also for the future, he explained.

AMC leadership does not doubt that mobility Airmen have what it takes to make these chapters excellent. Gen Randall Reed, U.S. Transportation Command commander, closed the symposium by reminding Airmen, “Inside of you, you have what it takes.”

Whether in the field or at home, Airmen are encouraged and supporting in building their mental and physical resilience.

A Message from the Airlift/Tanker Association

“We continue to provide the premier professional development forum for mobility Airmen each year during our Symposium. Our combined effort is to grow opportunities to educate, develop, mentor, and network with more Airmen than ever before. The 2025 Symposium and Tech Expo will be at the Gaylord Opryland, Nashville, Tennessee, 6–9 November 2025.”

For questions, contact programsvp@atalink.org.