SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFPN) -- Air Mobility Command officials will stand up a new wing June 5 as part of its en route structure in the Pacific.
The 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, will be the first wing AMC officials have established overseas since the command's formation in 1992. Supporting AMC aircraft and crews transiting the Pacific, the wing becomes the headquarters for the existing 715th Air Mobility Operations Group at Hickam AFB and the new 515th AMOG at Yokota Air Base, Japan.
"This new wing will provide an enhanced level of control for our en route structure in the Pacific, which includes critical locations for getting people, cargo and patients to and from war zones," said Col. Richard A. McClain, who is appointed to be the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing commander and currently serves as the 615th Contingency Response Wing vice commander at Travis AFB, Calif. "The strategic locations of our en route bases maximize the distance our mobility fleet can travel without air refueling. At the same time, we provide maintenance and aerial port servicing, as well as allowing aircrews the opportunity to get the appropriate crew rest."
"This wing standup demonstrates that AMC's en route structure is a flexible organization, shaped by the needs of our nation's security," said Maj. Gen. James A. Hawkins, 18th Air Force commander. "We're always looking for opportunities to make our system more responsive and efficient. This is one more example of adjusting the system to meet the combatant commander's needs."
The en route system serves as a critical link in supporting the warfighter.
"We couldn't perform our global mission without our air mobility people and infrastructure in the theater," said General Hawkins. "Our mobility aircraft transiting from their home base across the Pacific need these locations to refuel and be serviced before and after long missions."
About 1,800 personnel are assigned to the new wing. More than half will stay with the 715th AMOG and its three squadrons, supporting flights transiting Hickam AFB; Andersen AFB, Guam; and Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. The new 515th AMOG at Yokota will have operational control over the three squadrons at Osan AB, Korea; Kadena AB, Japan; and Yokota AB.
