6 Air Mobility Wing delivers deliberate excellence to multiple combatant commands

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Brittany Liddon and Mr. William Polson
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Every day the 6 Air Mobility Wing supports 38 associate units from all branches of service, including U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command. Even though the wing supports two of the Department of Defense's combatant commands on MacDill, the wing has a long history of supporting all combatant commands, to include supporting U.S. Strategic Command this weekend during Exercise Vigilant Shield.

Vigilant Shield is a bi-national North American Aerospace Defense Command exercise which provides realistic training and practice for American and Canadian forces in support of respective national strategy for North America's defense.

NORAD ensures U.S. and Canadian air sovereignty through a network of alert fighters, tankers, airborne early warning aircraft, and ground-based air defense assets cued by interagency and defense surveillance radars.

The exercise is planned for more than a year and is based on a notional scenario. Timing of the exercise is unrelated to any real-world events.

The 6 AMW supports this mission by preparing and generating KC-135 Stratotankers to launch as soon as possible for air refueling or survival missions, and the wing has been providing deliberate excellence in aerial combat for decades.

Going back to the 1950s, MacDill was a member of USSTRATCOM's ancestor, Strategic Air Command. From MacDill's runways, the courageous Airmen of that time launched the then-new strategic bomber, the swept-wing B-47 Stratojet, which took off with a loud roar and massive exhaust plumes.  Meanwhile during that same timeframe, the 6 AMW flew the B-36 Peacemaker and B-52 Stratofortress bombers from its home station at Walker Air Force Base, New Mexico.

"The United States' ability to maintain a safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent is foundational to our national security and contributes to the security of our allies and partners," said Adm. Cecil D. Haney, USSTRATCOM commander. "This exercise, and our continued focus on maintaining key capabilities and skills, ensures USSTRATCOM's strategic forces remain relevant and ready, 24/7, providing flexible and credible options for the President and the Department of Defense."