521ST AIR MOBILITY OPERATIONS WING

Current as of May 17, 2022

The 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing is assigned to United States Air Force Expeditionary Center, Air Mobility Command, with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.  

Mission
Agile, Resilient, & Reliable Air Mobility Operations...Always

Vision
Empowered Mobility Airmen accelerating Global Reach for today & tomorrow

Motto
DEPEND ON US

Organization
The 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing consists of nearly 2,000 personnel divided into two Air Mobility Operations Groups (AMOG) and 9 squadrons, in 19 locations, 13 countries, supporting four combatant commands in three areas of responsibility. The 19 locations include six detachments and six air terminal contracts. The wing provides command and control, en route aircraft maintenance, and air transportation services for theater and strategic air mobility missions in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia. The 521st AMOW also uniquely provides expeditionary aircrew support and inter-theater aeromedical evacuation.

Command and control teams execute global command and control for Air Mobility Command transient aircraft and flight following for U.S. Transportation Command taskings. In partnership with functional experts from air transportation operations centers (ATOC) and maintenance operations centers (MOC), command and control Airmen coordinate ground support requirements and aircrew support.

Specialized maintenance personnel provide en route maintenance support through MOC, aircraft maintenance units, quality assurance, regional training center, fuel cell, aerospace ground equipment, forward supply locations, and maintenance recovery teams.

Air transportation professionals, often known as Port Dawgs, operate ATOC, provide passenger and fleet services, cargo processing, special handling, ramp services, load planning and data records.  

The 521st AMOW has roughly 1,500 permanent party authorized and supports a deployed contingent of Total Force members, augmenting the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron and the 721st Mobility Support Squadron which provides aeromedical evacuation and expeditionary aircrew support through stage, intel, tactics, aircrew flight equipment, flying crew chiefs and Ravens.  



Lineage.
Established as 555 Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion (Separate) on 28 Feb 1942. Activated on 4 Jul 1942. Redesignated: 555 Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion on 11 Mar 1943; 501 Tactical Control Group on 31 Dec 1945. Inactivated on 25 Sep 1947. Redesignated 501 Aircraft Control and Warning Group on 18 May 1949. Activated on 10 Jun 1949. Redesignated: 501 Tactical Control Group on 16 Mar 1952; 501 Tactical Control Wing on 18 Dec 1957. Disestablished and inactivated on 18 Nov 1960. Redesignated: 521 Tactical Control Wing on 31 Jul 1985; 521 Air Mobility Operations Wing on 18 Aug 2008. Activated on 4 Sep 2008.

Achievements and Honors
The honors of the 555th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion are bestowed on the 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing. This includes the service streamer for World War II: American Theater, as well as World War II campaign streamers for Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe and Rhineland. In addition to these bestowed honors, the wing earned 10 Air Force Meritorious Unit Awards for the periods of 1 October 2010-30 September 2011, 1 October 2011-30 September 2012, 1 October 2012-30 September 2013, 1 October 2013-30 September 2014, 1 October 2014-30 September 2015, 1 October 2015-30 September 2016, 1 October 2016-30 September 2017, 1 Oct 2017-30 Sep 2018; 1 Oct 2018-30 Sep 2019; 1 Oct 2019-30 Sep 2020. The wing received two Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards for the periods of 1 October 2008-30 September 2009 and 1 October 2009-30 Sep 2010. The emblem for the 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing received approval on 3 December 2008.