Air Mobility Command will hold its new, highest-level training exercise in August 2017. It’s planned to be a large-scale, international, scenario-driven event that aims to become the Red Flag for mobility crews. AMC decided to redesign its main training event to be a scenario where mobility crews are the focus of a high level exercise, as opposed to supporting other commands in their exercises. AMC has begun inviting other countries and other services to take part in the exercise, which like the Air Mobility Rodeo will be held at JB Lewis-McChord, Wash., AMC Commander Gen. Carlton Everhart said at AWS16. The exercise will be “full spectrum,” including air refueling, strategic airlift, tactical airlift, and aeromedical evacuation, Everhart said. There isn’t a name for the exercise yet, though Everhart said he’s “really, really close.” AMC canceled the rodeo event in 2013 because of budget cuts, and then scrapped the 2015 iteration because of costs and a high operations tempo.
The 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first standalone Reserve unit in the Air Force to get its own F-35s, welcoming the first fighter Nov. 5.