GRAPEVINE, Texas —
Air Mobility Command commander, Gen. Johnny Lamontagne, revealed his commander’s intent and celebrated a banner year of mobility operations during his keynote address at the 56th Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium in Grapevine, Texas, Oct. 31, 2024.
In his address to more than 1,000 current and former Airmen, community leaders, industry representatives and civilians, Lamontagne bucketed his intent in three focus areas: Airmen, Mission and Commitment.
He outlined four to five sub-categories under each area. For Airmen, he intends to ensure mission ready Airmen, who are accountable for themselves and one another. He also expects a command focused on empowering leadership at the lowest echelons while continuing to strengthen Airman and family resilience.
“It starts and ends with the Airmen; Mission Ready Airmen that are ready to thrive and operate in some austere environments in an agile combat employment [manner],” he said. “Even if you’re disconnected from your leadership, you’re going to know what needs to be done and you’re going to execute.”
In his discussion of mission, Lamontagne reaffirmed the nuclear mission remains the command’s most consequential. He also spoke about the command’s work to digitally connect the force, which will help ensure the command’s ability to mitigate emerging threats and fully integrate command and control, not just with U.S. Transportation Command, but also with the 618th Air Operations Center’s counterparts in Europe and the Pacific. Another continued focus is working with the newly erected Integrated Capabilities Command (Provisional) to strengthen the Air Force’s aging tanker fleet while simultaneously accelerating future tanker capability.
“Team, our Air Force senior leadership sees what we see… the need to modernize the fleet and connect digitally which will help us mitigate threats and perform integrated command and control,” said Lamontagne.
The final focus area was on the command’s commitment.
“Commitment is analogous to our chief of staff of the United States Air Force’s efforts to follow through,” said Lamontagne. “And we are going to be committed to the changes our Air Force is making and the priorities of our combatant command.”
Specifically, Lamontagne emphasized the command’s commitment to our higher headquarters’ priorities, our creation of strong combat and air base wings, our future capabilities, and our Air Force, Joint and Allied and Partner teammates.
Lamontagne also celebrated another incredible year for AMC and mobility forces, which included support to several pivotal operations across all geographic combatant commands. He congratulated Airmen for their continued focus on improving readiness for Great Power Competition and potential peer conflict, including max endurance operations and participating in service- and Joint-level exercises like Bamboo Eagle.
“Not unlike years that came before it, and probably not unlike years that’ll come after it,” said Lamontagne. “As we contribute to a mission that is bigger than ourselves and helping our nation achieve its most strategic objectives.”
Finally, Lamontagne previewed the work ahead. The command plans to do a clean-sheet review of the approach to the aeromedical evacuation and global air mobility support system missions, prioritizing effectiveness in contested environments rather than efficiency, which was ideal for the counter-VEO mission. The command has moved out on its creation of its combat wings and air base wings, also reviewing its current numbered air force structures. Lamontagne highlighted the next evolution of Mobility Guardian scheduled for the summer of 2025 in the Pacific.
“In 2023, this command turned heads, changed the game, and got everyone’s attention,” said Lamontagne. “It proved we could do exercises at speed, at scale and at distance. No more pixie dust on the logistics. In 2025, it’s going to be bigger still. It’ll be a joint exercise with U.S. Transportation Command Exercise Ultimate Distribution and part of it is going to become an Air Force, service-level exercise.”
Throughout his keynote address, Lamontagne focused on addressing the Airmen and outlining his intent to make sure his message is clear for the command’s road ahead.
“Whether you know it or not, we are standing on the shoulders of giants that have provided an asymmetric advantage for our nation,” said Lamontagne. “That asymmetric advantage is you—rapid global mobility—and we’ve been doing it for eight decades.”
