The Mobility Forum Stories

As the U.S. Air Force transforms to meet the demands of the Great Power Competition, risk management is taking on a new level of importance. With complex and dynamic threats, Airmen must be equipped to make risk-informed decisions at every level. Through the Integrating Risk and Readiness campaign, leaders are enhancing readiness across the full scope of training, exercises, and combat operations.

Recently, CMSgt Michael A. Evans became the Senior Enlisted Leader of the Safety Directorate and Major Command Functional Manager for the Safety Career Field at the Air Mobility Command Headquarters, Scott Air Force Base (AFB), IL. In this role, Evans serves as the principal advisor to the Director of Safety, guiding on all matters related to risk management, mishap prevention, and force readiness. He oversees the interpretation and implementation of safety directives and programs, ensuring their alignment with Air Force policies and operational objectives. In addition, he assesses readiness and mission capability across the command, identifies critical staffing requirements, and advocates for Air Expeditionary Force and command-level resourcing needs.

“If you’re really interested in high performance, you are going to require a certain level of cognitive literacy, meaning you have to understand what is going on in your brain and your body when you’re performing.” – Steven Kotler

MOBILITY AIRMEN: The Unifying Force for Global Readiness. Delivering agile integration, robust logistics, and unwavering readiness for collective security.Mobility Airmen are the cohesive glue behind…

You are sitting at the hammerhead waiting for departure clearance. A line of weather is moving into the north, the aircraft is filled with soldiers returning to the United States after a one-year deployment, and the winds have changed, so your takeoff data need to be adjusted. Stress is slowly creeping in as you start assessing the situation. Maintaining your mental composure and making accurate decisions are critical skills when transforming challenging situations into successful ones. Staying calm when faced with adversity or seemingly impossible situations helps us make rational decisions instead of reacting impulsively. However, staying calm under stress is not a simple task; it requires patience, practice, and perseverance.

I was sitting in a Headquarters staff meeting the other day and somewhere between the budget update and community calendar my steely-eyed staff warrior discipline slipped and my mind began to wander. The random topic I landed upon was sequels of all things. Specifically, what makes some sequels work brilliantly and others fall flat? In today’s media-saturated world, it seems like original stories are in short supply. Great original stories can be the genesis of other great stories though. Many revolutionary, expansive, or groundbreaking works come as sequels: The Odyssey is the sequel to The Iliad; the genre-defining Nevermind was actually Nirvana’s sophomore album; and Season 2 of My Hero Academia brilliantly expanded on the characters and story (no spoilers—I’m not caught up on all the seasons). Based on my observations, a sequel needs to be grounded in the original while expanding the scope and complexity in an interesting and novel direction to be successful.

Summer is the time to enjoy warm, sunny days safely. The 101 Critical Days of Summer (101 CDS) focuses on preventing the annual spikes in injuries and accidents between Memorial Day and Labor Day. For the Department of the Air Force (DAF), these accidents not only impact individuals and their families but also mission readiness and force lethality.

The 12th Air Task Force (12 ATF), the first ATF under the new Air Force deployment model, was officially activated during a ceremony at Scott Air Force Base, IL, Sept. 4, 2024.

Nuclear Surety and Air Mobility Command (AMC) are critical aspects of the U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) mission to maintain safe, secure, and effective nuclear capabilities while supporting global air mobility operations. Nuclear surety refers to the measures, programs, and protocols designed to ensure the safety, security, and reliability of nuclear weapons and their associated systems. The goal of nuclear surety is to prevent accidents involving nuclear assets as well as unauthorized access to, misuse of, or malicious acts with nuclear assets. To help continuously achieve this goal, the four key pillars of nuclear surety were established.

On Sept. 26, 2024, the 9th Air Refueling Squadron (ARS) at Travis Air Force Base, CA, retired the last of Air Mobility Command’s advanced tanker and cargo aircraft, the KC-10—commemorating its forty-four-year legacy. With more than 140 combat-ready personnel and a plethora of equipment, the 9 ARS mobilized and deployed twelve KC-10s to anywhere on the globe at a moment’s notice by generating strategic airlift and aerial-refueling missions that supported U.S. and allied forces during contingency operations.[1] In a conversation with U.S. Air Force (USAF) Lt Col Andrew Baer, 9 ARS Commander and KC-10 Extender Pilot, the importance and historical significance of the KC-10 becomes clear.

The next iteration of digital safety reporting is here with the release of the new SAFEREP App. SAFEREP is the Department of the Air Force’s only completely digital safety reporting tool supporting all disciplines and areas around a base, with dedicated reporting features for workplace, traffic, industrial, flight, weapons, and space safety. Replacing the Airman Safety App, SAFEREP reflects a broader reporting capability that encompasses more functional areas and other military services.

“Who in this room wants to be a badass at what they do?” asked Dr. Jannell MacAulay, silencing the room of lively, chattering conference attendees—Air Mobility Command (AMC) Airmen. MacAulay, a speaker at the 56th Annual Airlift/Tanker Association (ATA) Symposium in Grapevine, TX, scanned the room, taking in the many hands thrust into the air—an expected response as AMC Airmen accomplish badass feats daily.