Twenty-First Air Force

21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force
Emblem of the 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force
Active	18 June 1942–
Country	United States
Branch	Air Force
Part of	Air Mobility Command Eighteenth Air Force
Garrison/HQ	McGuire Air Force Base
Commanders
Current command chief	Chief Master Sergeant Dale B. Barton)

The 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force (21 EMTF) is one of two EMTFs assigned to the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command. It is headquartered at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey$3. The 21 EMTF was a redesignation of Twenty-First Air Force, effective 1 October 2003.

The 21st EMTF reports to Headquarters, Eighteenth Air Force at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

Mission

The 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force (EMTF) provides a rapid, tailored, worldwide, air mobility response to combatant commander's needs. Reporting through Eighteenth Air Force, the EMTF will extend existing AMC infrastructure, through both en route employment and rapid forward deployment capabilities.

Its mission is to command and assess the combat readiness of assigned air mobility forces over the Atlantic half of the globe in support of Global Reach. These forces are at more than 55 locations in eight countries. 21 EMTF's major units include six active duty wings, two operational flying groups, and two mobility operations/support groups. Additionally, the 21 EMTF is liaison to 40 Air Reserve Component Wings.

21 EMTF's strategic airlift force includes the C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III and the C-130 Hercules, aircraft, used to move cargo and passengers worldwide. The tanker force includes KC-10 Extenders and KC-135 Stratotankers used for inflight refueling to provide increased global mobility.

In addition to the Task Force's airlift and refueling mission, the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland$3 provides worldwide administrative airlift support to the President of the United States and other top government officials flying the C-20, C-21, C-32, VC-25 (Air Force One), VC-137, and UH-1 aircraft.

Units

• 6th Air Refueling Wing

MacDill Air Force Base, Florida

• 15th Airlift Wing

Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii

• 19th Airlift Wing

Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas$3

• 43d Airlift Wing

Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina$3

• 89th Airlift Wing

Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland$3

• 305th Air Mobility Wing

McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey$3

• 436th Airlift Wing

Dover Air Force Base, Delaware$3

• 437th Airlift Wing

Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina$3

• 463d Airlift Group

Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas$3

• 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing

Ramstein Air Base, Germany

• 621st Contingency Response Wing

McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey$3

History

Created as a wing of the United States Army Air Force during World War II, it gradually evolved into its modern designation of 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force. Initially, it ferried aircraft, but by 1942, its mission had changed to what it is today, airlifting personnel and cargo.

Lineage

Routes of the Eastern Transport Air Force, 1964

• Established as 23d Army Air Forces (AAF) Ferrying Wing on 12 June 1942

Activated on 18 June 1942

Redesignated North Atlantic Wing on 5 July 1942

Redesignated North Atlantic Division on 27 June 1944

Redesignated Atlantic Division on 20 September 1945

Redesignated Atlantic Division on 1 June 1948

Redesignated Eastern Transport Air Force on 1 July 1958

Redesignated Twenty-First Air Force on 3 January 1966

Redesignated 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force on 1 October 2003

Assignments

• AAF Ferrying Command, 12 June 1942
• Air Transport Command, 5 July 1942
• Air Transport Service (USAF), 15 October 1947
• Military Air Transport Service, 1 June 1948
• Military Airlift Command, 1 January 1966
• Air Mobility Command, 1 June 1992

Major components

• 76th Air Division

1 March 1976 – 30 September 1977; 15 December 1980-1 October 1985

• 322d Air Division

3 January 1966 – 24 December 1968; 23 June 1978-1 April 1992

• 839th Air Division

1–31 December 1974

Stations

• Presque Isle AAF, Maine$3, 12 June 1942
• Fort Totten, New York, 20 September 1945
• Westover AAF (later, AFB), Massachusetts$3, 1 October 1947
• McGuire AFB, New Jersey$3, 1 June 1955

Aerospace vehicles

C-5 Galaxy; C-17 Globemaster III; C-130 Hercules; C-141 Starlifter; KC-10 Extender; KC-135 Stratotanker.

Operational history

1966 emblem of the 21st Air Force, based on the MATS Eastern Transport Air Force emblem

21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force units have a proud heritage of providing airlift in support of national policy under the most difficult circumstances.

Under Military Air Transport Service, Eastern Transport Air Force (EASTAF), headquartered at McGuire AFB, New Jersey$3, controlled all strategic airlift operations between the Mississippi River and the east coast of Africa and in Central and South America.

When MATS became Military Airlift Command, EASTAF was redesignated Twenty-First Air Force, with the same area of responsibility. In addition to Dover AFB, other major 21st AF bases were Charleston AFB, South Carolina$3 and McGuire AFB, NJ. Depending upon command organization at different times, airlift and airlift support units in Europe, the Azores, Bermuda and throughout the southeastern United States also reported to EASTAF or 21st AF.

Operating as Twenty-First Air Force, in Operation Just Cause, Twenty-first Air Force units conducted the largest night airdrop since World War II, leading to the liberation of Panama. Twenty-first Air Force controlled the largest airlift in history during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, ensuring the success of our response to Iraqi aggression. Twenty-First Air Force is instrumental to the continuing operations in Bosnia and Southwest Asia.

The command has been far more active supporting peaceful, humanitarian missions. Twenty-first Air Force units flew relief missions after Hurricane Hugo (1989) and Andrew (1992), earthquakes in Armenia and San Francisco, and many other natural disasters. In addition, it controlled the Operation Provide Comfort airlift missions to the Kurds following the Persian Gulf War, the Operation Provide Hope airlift in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, and participated in Operation Restore Hope, the humanitarian airlift of food and supplies into Somalia.

The ETF also supports numerous exercises around the world, one of which was CENTRAZBAT, in which C-17’s flew multi-national paratroopers non-stop from Pope AFB, North Carolina$3, airdropping them directly into the Central Asian countries of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan demonstrating the capabilities of direct delivery. While these examples highlight the capability of the unit, the command also routinely operates in remote, often austere locations throughout Europe, Africa, and South America. In all of these missions, the focus is on responsive airlift support to AMC customers wherever they may be.

On 1 October 2003 the Twenty-First Air Force was re-designated as the 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Bibliography

• Snedeker, Clayton H. Twenty-first Air Force: Chronology of Significant Events, 1966–present. McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey: 21st Air Force Office of History, 1990.

External links

• Air Force Link: 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force fact sheet
• Air Force Historical Research Agency: Twenty-First Air Force
• GlobalSecurity.org: Twenty-First Air Force 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force