New schools, centers of excellence created

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jeff Capenos
  • 421st Combat Training Squadron
FORT DIX, N.J. (AFPN) --  Two new centers of excellence and two Air Force schools have been created, Air Mobility Warfare Center officials announced Nov. 25.

The warfare center now will be home to the centers for agile-combat support and for air mobility as well as the U.S. Air Force Mobility Operations School and the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Operations School. These schools join the existing U.S. Air Force Mobility Weapons School, Air Force Mobility Battlelab and Resources Directorate under the warfare center. The reorganization officially takes effect Dec. 1.

"This reorganization became necessary (because of) significant changes and growth to our mission," said Maj. Gen. Christopher Kelly, the warfare center commander. "Our future lies in meeting the needs of Air Force mobility warfighters. By reorganizing, we are more efficient and better able to successfully complete our mission of improving Air Force mobility and combat-support capabilities."

The new centers bring together subject-matter experts focused on improving Air Force capabilities by developing or improving doctrine, training, organization, materiel, leadership, people and facilities.

The following outlines the warfare center's reorganization:

The Air Mobility Center of Excellence is a combination of the U.S. Air Force Mobility Weapons School, the U.S. Air Force Mobility Operations School and the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Battlelab.

-- The U.S. Air Force Mobility Weapons School, formerly known as the U.S. Air Force Combat Aerial Delivery School, has facilities here, and at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J.; Little Rock AFB, Ark; and Fairchild AFB, Wash. It conducts weapons instructor courses for C-130 Hercules, KC-135 Stratotanker and C-17 Globemaster III aircrews. School instructors also provide mobility tactics development and evaluation, combat aircrew tactics training, a senior officer tacticians course, an intelligence formal training unit course and hold the air mobility tactics/adversary studies element course.

-- The U.S. Air Force Mobility Operations School features courses in operations, aircraft maintenance, air transportation, and command and control. Also here are the center's registrar, instructor/course development courses and Community College of the Air Force programs, and it is the center's focal point for distance learning. Within the operations school is the 34th Combat Training Squadron, formerly with the weapons school, which provides air mobility support at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Ft. Polk, La., and Red Flag at Nellis AFB, Nev.

-- The U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Battlelab is the seventh and newest Air Force battlelab. The battlelab provides innovation support to both centers of excellence, developing capabilities for the warfighter through improved tools, tactics, technology, concepts and requirements.

The Agile Combat Support Center of Excellence is a combination of the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Operations School and the air mobility battlelab.

-- The U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Operations School conducts the chief of staff of the Air Force's Eagle Flag exercise, considered the "Red Flag" of expeditionary combat support. The school is also a security forces regional training center and provides a number of ESC-related courses for the Air Force. In addition, the school conducts the Department of Defense anti-terrorism level II course, the Phoenix Raven Course and will begin developing ECS tactics, techniques and procedures in fiscal 2005. Also, within the school is the redesignated 421st Combat Training Squadron, formerly the 421st Training Squadron. (Courtesy of Air Mobility Command News Service)