The Mobility Forum Posts

In a fast-changing operational landscape, it is not enough to react—you have to anticipate. At Air Mobility Command (AMC), that means seeing the full picture, spotting patterns early, and moving decisively.

When you consider the discipline of safety among all the other specialty codes and skills in the Air Force, how would you classify it? Is it a front-line operational skill like bomb loading, airbase air defense, or flying? Or is it a vital support function like food preparation, ground transportation, or finance? Is it tactical or administrative, forward or rear echelon?

Most Airmen have experienced fatigue and stress at some point over their career. This article is not intended to tell you how to recognize such symptoms, but instead to describe methods for managing them. Hopefully, you have heard some of these before.

In 2024, the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force issued a task order for Phase Two of the Integrating Risk and Readiness campaign. The overall intent of Phase Two is to move Risk Management (RM) from just a program to an operational imperative, teaching Airmen how to make risk-informed decisions across the full spectrum of operations, including identifying and mitigating increased risk during times of change. Although resources are constrained, the second phase is required to extend to operations in austere locations. This extension requires that RM tools and training be integrated into all aspects of planning, preparation, execution, and assessment. To accomplish these goals, the Air Force directed the completion of several tasks by December 31, 2025.

“Safety is a combat discipline,” remarked Col John B. Kelley, Director of Safety for Air Mobility Command (AMC). “It maintains and magnifies combat capabilities, allowing Airmen to identify risks, mitigate them, and move out.”

On December 9, 2024, Capt Christopher Jones’s quick thinking and decisive actions averted catastrophic damage to a fifty-five million dollar KC-135 aircraft during a mission in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. After an uneventful landing at St. Croix, the aircraft was parked on a civilian ramp and the two crew chiefs commenced post-flight procedures on the aircraft’s exterior, while the aircrew completed shutdown protocols. One of the crew chiefs removed the chocks to straighten the nose gear, unaware that the parking brakes had already been released. Consequently, the aircraft began rolling backward uncontrollably for fifteen seconds. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Jones, serving as the copilot, immediately instructed the Aircraft Commander to activate the electrical system, hydraulic pressure, and auxiliary pumps. The Aircraft Commander promptly executed these actions, bringing the aircraft to a stop just feet from colliding with a building. Jones’s extensive system knowledge and composure under pressure not only prevented the aircraft from endangering the lives of the servicing crew chiefs but also safeguarded the high-value asset.

Earlier this year, Air Commandos across Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) participated in the Thunder Dome innovation competition at Hurlburt Field, FL.

Most Airmen and Guardians do not consider system safety when thinking about the implementation of safety programs. However, it is an integral part of safety and risk management that touches each discipline throughout the Department of the Air Force (DAF) every day. So, what is system safety?

In the beloved film, WarGames, young Matthew Broderick plays a teen hacker who stumbles into a military supercomputer and accidentally triggers what appears to be the countdown to World War III. The 80s classic was ahead of its time, envisioning a future where gaming grows so advanced that it mirrors real warfare. Fast forward forty years, and Air Mobility Command (AMC) is harnessing the power of gaming technologies to prepare for the future fight. AMC leaders are using sophisticated war-gaming software to test real-world scenarios, anticipate threats, and refine strategies in ways that were impossible a generation ago.

What is more terrifying than piloting a plane at sixty thousand feet and discovering that you can no longer control the aircraft because the cockpit computer has been hacked?

If you live in a dorm or in military barracks, you will never want for company! But how can you protect your belongings, and what can you do to keep yourself and your roommates safe? The following are twelve recommendations that primarily apply to living in a dorm room with one other person, but many can be adapted for life in a barracks.

Disasters are a steady reality around the world—earthquakes, typhoons, and regional health crises continue to affect communities, leaving people in need of support, resources, and coordinated response.