The Mobility Forum Posts

Let me share a personal story. In 2009, I was thirteen years old, enjoying a family trip to Waikiki Beach with my dad. My parents are divorced, which meant my mom armed me with a long list of warnings before I left: wear sunscreen, do not talk to strangers, and if caught in a rip current—swim parallel to the beach. She even sent me articles filled with stories to support her concerns.

Spending time outdoors in the summer, whether hiking scenic trails or camping under the stars, is one of the best ways to enjoy the season. However, natural environments can be unpredictable, and without proper preparation, a relaxing trip can quickly become dangerous. From extreme heat to hazardous plants and wildlife, staying safe outdoors depends on awareness, preparation, and smart decision-making.

Blind spots exist in every vehicle, but they pose a particular risk to motorcycles due to their smaller profile. Ignoring them increases the chance of sideswipe accidents, especially during lane changes or merging.

Mishap-Free Flying Hour Milestones

One of Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s definitions of automation is “automatically controlled operation of an apparatus, process, or system by mechanical or electronic devices that take the place of human labor.”

A U.S. Airman assigned to the 15th Maintenance Squadron uses a checklist for maintenance on a wheel well of a C-17 Globemaster III at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, March 12, 2026. Members of the 735th Air Mobility Squadron hosted a competition where maintenance units from Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, and Japan tested their readiness by performing diagnostics and repairs on a C-17 Globemaster III.

In the early days of the internet, back in the late nineteen nineties, online personality quizzes were frequently sent as chain letters via email between friends and coworkers. These emails were welcome distractions as multiple days might elapse without receiving an email in your AOL Mail, Netscape, or Hotmail inbox. In those days, there were very few official Air Force email accounts—happier days indeed! One such quiz promised to calculate your “deviant” percentage—the higher your score, the more your personality deviates from the quintessentially normal, average, “Mark 1” person. While I am not about to trust an internet quiz to define my personality again, such a quiz makes one reflect on how much deviation is innovative and creative, and how much is risky or even dangerous.

Mobility Guardian 2025 (MG25) is more than the Air Mobility Command’s (AMC) flagship exercise—it showcases the global reach and scale required to project power in today’s contested environments. As part of the U.S. Air Force’s 2025 Department-Level Exercise (DLE) series, and as the fifth iteration of AMC’s biennial exercise, MG25 unfolded for the second time in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s vast theater, demonstrating the Air Force’s ability to project power at speed and scale. With more than four hundred joint and coalition aircraft and more than twelve thousand personnel spread across fifty locations and three thousand miles, the exercise’s success rested on two pillars: the meticulous planning backbone provided by organizations like the 618th Air Operations Center (AOC) and the dedication of the Airmen executing missions on the ground, in the air, and across the command-and-control enterprise.

During the August 2025 Operations Risk Assessment and Management System (Ops RAMS) Working Group, the chart shown on this page was presented, which visually depicted a significant decline in the number of Mobility Air Force Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) submissions. In fiscal year 2025, there have been only 483 ASAP reports submitted thus far. With ASAP submissions historically averaging approximately sixty per month and only one month remaining until the FY25 closeout on September 30, we are tracking toward 543 total ASAP reports for the year. This number is well below the fiscal year 2024 total of 688 ASAP reports. Unless there is a miraculous change in the next month, the outlook appears disappointing.

Aviation safety . . . I am sure you think that it is obvious what this safety is all about. Yes, it is obvious—on the surface. We do not want our people getting hurt or our equipment getting damaged, but there is so much more to a whole safety program. For example, the recent UPS crash in Louisville, KY, not only killed the crew and destroyed the airplane, but also fatally injured numerous civilians on the ground. Such events serve as a reminder of the devastating potential of aviation accidents and the moral imperative to prevent them. We do not want this to ever happen, so we do our best to prevent it. But how?

Like so many years before, 2025 proved eventful in numerous ways for the men and women of Air Mobility Command (AMC). Coming off the 2024 election season and its critical BANNER EXPRESS missions, AMC entered the past year by preparing for a ramped-up exercise summer, highlighted by Mobility Guardian 2025 as part of a broader set of U.S. Air Force (USAF) and joint force exercises. Gen John Lamontagne, who was named AMC Commander in September 2024, continued to move the organization forward in line with his priorities of “Airmen – Mission – Commitment.”