MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Mobility Airmen from the 6th Air Refueling Wing demonstrated their readiness to deploy forces and equipment to deliver rapid global mobility in a moment’s notice during a large-scale readiness exercise conducted Jan. 11-22.
Airmen from the wing provide swift deployment capabilities and the ability to sustain operations by delivering essential equipment and personnel for missions ranging from major combat to humanitarian relief operations around the world.
These Mobility Airmen also provide in-flight refueling, which is a unique Air Force capability and the linchpin to joint power projection at intercontinental distances.
“As we head into 2021, I have no doubt in our capabilities,” said Col. Ben Jonsson, 6th Air Refueling Wing commander. “We will continue to fight through the impacts of the Coronavirus, we will focus on increasing our capabilities against near peer threats and we are focused on winning the high-end fight.”
During 2020, MacDill’s Airmen proved their ability to support the nation’s top mission of strategic deterrence by successfully conducting several operational readiness exercises. And going into the New Year, Team MacDill is focused on ensuring that the 6th ARW is ready to carry out its warfighting mission.
“Like most operational plans, MacDill’s strategic deterrence mission is a complex plan that requires our Airmen to think, act, and communicate with zero hesitation and absolute clarity,” said Lt. Col. Scott Korell, 6th Operations Support Squadron commander. “The men and women of the 6th Air Refueling Wing have demonstrated time and time again, that we can work together, across functions, and break down parochial stove pipes to execute this dynamic mission.”
Training exercises such as this LRE are critically important to ensuring the readiness of Airmen today and tomorrow, and validates the wing’s constant readiness to deliver rapid global mobility.
“It is our duty as America’s security blanket to prioritize this most critical mission first above all other assigned missions and tasks,” explained Korell. “Readiness exercises allow our warfighters the opportunity to demonstrate our strength, resilience and lethality to our adversaries watching our every strategic move.”