ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE BASE, Darwin —
Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Australia, participated in Air Mobility Command’s Mobility Guardian 23 as an expeditionary hub for eight U.S. aircraft assigned to the 22nd and 92nd Air Refueling Wings conducting extensive endurance missions throughout the exercise.
MG23 is a multi-national endeavor that took place in the Indo-Pacific region from July 5-21, and is the largest full-spectrum readiness exercise in AMC history.
“It should be evident by now that success of the Joint Force requires a capable and integrated Mobility Air Force,” said Gen. Mike Minihan, AMC commander. “MG23 will turn planned integration into operational integration within the theater, stretching MAF capabilities to meet further demands and protect shared international interest with our Allies and partners.”
The endurance missions executed during MG23 showcased the ability to work with our Joint Force, Allies and partners to deliver rapid mobilization throughout the Indo-Pacific theater by performing hot-pit refueling, concurrent servicing, and aerial refueling consecutively for multiple missions.
“The greatest advantage of MG23 being held in the Pacific is working hand in hand with our Allies,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Chesley Dycus, 92nd Air Refueling Wing commander. “Working with the government of Australia and the Royal Australian Air Force has allowed us to learn about one another’s capabilities to better understand the Indo-Pacific theater.”
The endurance missions conducted during MG23 demonstrate how the U.S. Air Force is engaged, postured, and ready with credible force to assure, deter, and defend in an increasingly complex security environment. With the Indo-Pacific region being comprised of more water than land, flying operations of this caliber are a necessary skillset for the mobility mission.
“We are trying to cover down on the tyranny of distance,” said Lt. Col. David Clark, 384th Air Refueling Squadron force element lead. “We compliment the crew to make sure they can make those long duration sorties to fly out of here, land, refuel, and then get more fuel back into the fight.”
Each country participating in the exercise took advantage of the opportunity to hone vital readiness skills and enhance interoperability in operationally limited environments. Coalition partners and Joint force members demonstrated their capabilities among multiple mission sets to include airlift, aerial refueling, aeromedical evacuation, the Global Air Mobility Support System, command and control, and humanitarian and disaster assistance.
“The Mobility Air Forces’ success is non-negotiable and non-transferable, and the implications of a less-than-fearless and less-than-first class MAF are severe,” said Minihan. “We fully understand the magnitude of responsibility that rests on our shoulders, and we will deliver what is required to serve our fellow Allies and partners to preserve our nation’s sacred peace, prosperity and prestige.”
