21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force


caption= Emblem of the 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force
dates= 18 June 1942–
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= Air Force
type=
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command_structure= Air Mobility Command
Eighteenth Air Force
garrison= McGuire Air Force Base
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commander1=
commander1_label= Current commander
commander2=
commander2_label= Current vice-commander
commander3= Chief Master Sergeant Dale B. Barton)
commander3_label= Current command chief
notable_commanders= The 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force (21 EMTF) is one of two EMTFs assigned to the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command. It is headquartered at McGuire AFB, New Jersey. The 21 EMTF was a redesignation of Twenty-First Air Force, effective 1 October 2003.

The 21st EMTF reports to Headquarters, Eighteenth Air Force at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois,

Mission

The 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force (EMTF) provides a rapid, tailored, world-wide, air mobility response to combatant commander's needs. Reporting through Eighteenth Air Force, the EMTF will extend existing AMC infrastructure, through both en route employment and rapid forward deployment capabilities.

Its mission is to command and assess the combat readiness of assigned air mobility forces over the Atlantic half of the globe in support of Global Reach. These forces are at more than 55 locations in eight countries. 21 EMTF's major units include six active duty wings, two operational flying groups, and two mobility operations/support groups. Additionally, the 21 EMTF is liaison to 40 Air Reserve Component Wings.

21 EMTF's strategic airlift force includes the C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III and the C-130 Hercules, aircraft, used to move cargo and passengers worldwide. The tanker force includes KC-10 Extenders and KC-135 Stratotankers used for inflight refueling to provide increased global mobility.

In addition to the Task Force's airlift and refueling mission, the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland provides worldwide administrative airlift support to the President of the United States and other top government officials flying the C-20, C-21, C-32, VC-25 (Air Force One), VC-137, and UH-1 aircraft.

Units

* 6th Air Refueling Wing: MacDill Air Force Base, Florida
* 15th Airlift Wing: Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii
* 19th Airlift Wing: Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas
* 43rd Airlift Wing: Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina
* 89th Airlift Wing: Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland
* 305th Air Mobility Wing: McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey
* 436th Airlift Wing: Dover Air Force Base, Deleware
* 437th Airlift Wing: Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina
* 463d Airlift Group: Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas
* 621st Air Mobility Operations Group: McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey
* 721st Air Mobility Operations Group: Ramstein Air Base, Germany

History

Created as a wing of the United States Army Air Force during World War II, it gradually evolved into its modern designation of 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force. Initially, it ferried aircraft, but by 1942, its mission had changed to what it is today, airlifting personnel and cargo.

Lineage

* Established as 23d Army Air Forces (AAF) Ferrying Wing on 12 Jun 1942: Activated on June 18, 1942: Redesignated North Atlantic Wing on 5 Jul 1942: Redesignated North Atlantic Division on 27 Jun 1944: Redesignated Atlantic Division on 20 Sep 1945: Redesignated Atlantic Division on 1 Jun 1948: Redesignated Eastern Transport Air Force on 1 Jul 1958: Redesignated Twenty-First Air Force on 3 Jan 1966: Redesignated 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force on 1 Oct 2003

Assignments

* AAF Ferrying Command, 12 Jun 1942
* Air Transport Command, 5 Jul 1942
* Air Transport Service (USAF), 15 Oct 1947
* Military Air Transport Service, 1 Jun 1948
* Military Airlift Command, 1 Jan 1966
* Air Mobility Command, 1 Jun 1992

Major Components

* 76th Air Division: 1 Mar 1976-30 Sep 1977; 15 Dec 1980-1 Oct 1985
* 322d Air Division: 3 Jan 1966-24 Dec 1968; 23 Jun 1978-1 Apr 1992
* 839th Air Division: 1-31 Dec 1974

tations

* Presque Isle AAF, Maine, 12 Jun 1942
* Fort Totten, New York, 20 Sep 1945
* Westover AAF (later, AFB), Massachusetts, 1 Oct 1947
* McGuire AFB, New Jersey, 1 Jun 1955

Aerospace vehicles

C-5 Galaxy;
C-17 Globemaster III;
C-130 Hercules;
C-141 Starlifter;
KC-10 Extender;
KC-135 Stratotanker.

Operational History

21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force units have a proud heritage of providing airlift in support of national policy under the most difficult circumstances.

Operating as Twenty-First Air Force, in Operation Just Cause, Twenty-first Air Force units conducted the largest night airdrop since World War II, leading to the liberation of Panama. Twenty-first Air Force controlled the largest airlift in history during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, ensuring the success of our response to Iraqi aggression. Twenty-First Air Force is instrumental to the continuing operations in Bosnia and Southwest Asia.

The command has been far more active supporting peaceful, humanitarian missions. Twenty-first Air Force units flew relief missions after Hurricane Hugo (1989) and Andrew (1992), earthquakes in Armenia and San Francisco, and many other natural disasters. In addition, it controlled the Operation Provide Comfort airlift missions to the Kurds following the Persian Gulf War, the Operation Provide Hope airlift in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, and participated in Operation Restore Hope, the humanitarian airlift of food and supplies into Somalia.

The ETF also supports numerous exercises around the world, one of which was CENTRAZBAT, in which C-17’s flew multi-national paratroopers non-stop from Pope AFB, North Carolina, airdropping them directly into the Central Asian countries of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan demonstrating the capabilities of direct delivery. While these examples highlight the capability of the unit, the command also routinely operates in remote, often austere locations throughout Europe, Africa, and South America. In all of these missions, the focus is on responsive airlift support to AMC customers wherever they may be.

On 1 October 2003 the Twenty-First Air Force was re-designated as the 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force.

References

External links

* [http://public.mcguire.amc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3892 Air Force Link: 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force fact sheet]
* [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/numbered_airforce_index.html#21af Air Force Historical Research Agency: Twenty-First Air Force]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usaf/21af.htm GlobalSecurity.org: Twenty-First Air Force 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force]