Airman Magazine: Future Airlift
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The Air Force prepares for the future by EMPOWERING AIRMEN to find new and innovative ways of MAINTAINING air superiority.

As the Air Force prepares itself for the future of armed conflict, it empowers Airmen to find new and innovative ways to remain at the forefront of air superiority.  

Air Mobility Command, the nation’s rapid global mobility enterprise, is the cornerstone of our nation’s ability to protect its interests and to respond to crises globally. AMC Airmen are testing, evaluating, and introducing new tactics, techniques, and procedures, to maximize the capability of the assets it has, and to integrate new capabilities seamlessly.  

In this issue of Airman Magazine, we visit Little Rock AFB and spoke to the tactical airlift professionals at the 19th Airlift Wing about the innovative strategies they’re developing to advance long-range C-130J capabilities, and to Scott AFB to witness the 375th AES’s Air Battle Lab’s efforts piloting new procedures and equipment to be integrated Air Force-wide.  

Finally, we sat down with Maj. Gen. Gerald Donohue, AMC’s Director of Operations, Strategic Deterrence, and Nuclear Integration, about maintaining American airlift’s strategic advantage.
    
 

As the Air Force prepares itself for the future of armed conflict, it empowers Airmen to find new and innovative ways to remain at the forefront of air superiority.  

Air Mobility Command, the nation’s rapid global mobility enterprise, is the cornerstone of our nation’s ability to protect its interests and to respond to crises globally. AMC Airmen are testing, evaluating, and introducing new tactics, techniques, and procedures, to maximize the capability of the assets it has, and to integrate new capabilities seamlessly. 
 

In this issue of Airman Magazine, we visit Little Rock AFB and spoke to the tactical airlift professionals at the 19th Airlift Wing about the innovative strategies they’re developing to advance long-range C-130J capabilities, and to Scott AFB to witness the 375th AES’s Air Battle Lab’s efforts piloting new procedures and equipment to be integrated Air Force-wide.  

Finally, we sat down with Maj. Gen. Gerald Donohue, AMC’s Director of Operations, Strategic Deterrence, and Nuclear Integration, about maintaining American airlift’s strategic advantage.  

 

 

"Tactical and strategic airlift are foundational to how we project power. Modernizing these capabilities will enable us to respond to crises quickly, sustain joint forces and operate in contested environments."

- Maj. Gen. Gerald Donohue, Air Mobility Command Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration director of operations


 
Airman Magazine International Airlift
 

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The United States Transportation Command projects and sustains the Joint Force globally. Air Mobility Command plays a vital role in this mission. With multiple strategic locations around the world, USTRANSCOM enables the rapid deployment and sustainment of personnel, equipment and supplies to support national objectives. 

These strategic locations, combined with our relationships with NATO allies and other international partners, enable us to project global power, promote stability and security and rapidly deploy and sustain forces around the world.

Key locations include bases in Europe, such as Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, which support NATO operations; locations in the Middle East, which enable rapid response to regional crises; and bases in the Indo-Pacific, such as Japan, South Korea and Australia, which support operations in the Indo-Pacific and enhance partnerships with regional allies.
 
  

​The following maps show how the U.S. collaborates with partners worldwide to achieve our airlift mission.

 
Note: These bases may serve multiple roles and their classification could depend on the specific mission or context. However, this categorization provides a general overview of the different types of bases and installations involved in airlift operations.
 		  

The United States Transportation Command projects and sustains the Joint Force globally. Air Mobility Command plays a vital role in this mission. With multiple strategic locations around the world,USTRANSCOM enables the rapid deployment and sustainment of personnel, equipment and supplies to support national objectives. 

These strategic locations, combined with our relationships with NATO allies and other international partners, enable us to project global power, promote stability and security and rapidly deploy and sustain forces around the world.

Key locations include bases in Europe, such as Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, which support NATO operations; locations in the Middle East, which enable rapid response to regional crises; and bases in the Indo-Pacific, such as Japan, South Korea and Australia, which support operations in the Indo-Pacific and enhance partnerships with regional allies.  

The following maps show how the U.S. collaborates with partners worldwide to achieve our airlift mission. 

 
Note: These bases may serve multiple roles and their classification could depend on the specific mission or context. However, this categorization provides a general overview of the different types of bases and installations involved in airlift operations.
 		  
Strategic Airlift Bases 
Tactical Airlift Bases  Logistics Hubs
Strategic Airlift Bases Tactical Airlift Bases Logistics Hubs
 
 
 


 

"The speed and flexibility to rapidly deploy capability anywhere in the world at any time, and the size at which we execute it, is unique to the United States."

- Maj. Gen. Gerald Donohue, Air Mobility Command Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration director of operations


 
Airman Magazine Podcast: At Altitude
 
 
Airman Magazine Podcast: At Altitude

 
 

At Altitude:
Airlift's Strategic Advantage

To maintain and advance its ability to rapidly deploy anytime, anywhere, AMC has empowered units to experiment with new procedures and strategies to broaden their capabilities before the next major conflict. In this episode of ‘At Altitude,’ we sat down with Maj. Gen. Gerald Donohue, AMC’s Director of Operations, Strategic Deterrence, and Nuclear Integration, about maintaining American airlift’s strategic advantage.

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"Tactical and strategic airlift are foundational to how we project power. Modernizing these capabilities will enable us to respond to crises quickly, sustain joint forces and operate in contested environments."

- Maj. Gen. Gerald Donohue, Air Mobility Command Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration director of operations

 
Airlift's Strategic Advantage

 
 

Airlift’s Strategic Advantage

As it continues to build the force it will need for the future, the U.S. Air Force understands that predicting every possible scenario it may encounter is just not possible. That is why Air Mobility Command, the nation’s rapid global airlift enterprise, is exploring and testing new tactics, techniques, and procedures to expand aircraft and aircrew capabilities and leverage both new and existing technologies to enhance operational effectiveness. 

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"With the conflict environment we could potentially be going into in the future, we won’t be able to operate the same way that we have the last 20, 25 years. We’re going to be limited on space, both in the air and on the ground, and we may not know what aircraft we’ll be on until it lands, so adaptability and flexibility are going to be vital."

- Maj. Brendan Arbuckle, 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Capabilities chief of tactics

 
​Future Airlift: Tactical Partnerships

 
 

​Future Airlift: Tactical Partnerships

U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules crews from the 19th Airlift Wing conduct training operations at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., April 2025. Tactical airlift enables the rapid delivery of medical aid, humanitarian relief and combat support across the globe—often within 48 hours of notification.

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"We take a look at those real-world challenges we're seeing out in the global environment, and incorporate the lessons learned into our training to ensure our Airmen are prepared to face those challenges on their next deployment."

- Maj. Joseph Burmeister, 19th Operations Support Squadron chief of tactics

 
 
 
​Future Airlift Aligning Reoptimization Efforts
 
 
 

​Future Airlift: Aligning reoptimization efforts with current administration priorities

For more than 60 years, the Air Force's airlift fleet has been a critical component of global power projection, a force multiplier empowering rapid deployment, force generation, sustainment and joint operations. Given this contested environment and the modernization of adversaries’ capabilities, the Air Force is being intentional about ensuring its fleet is prepared to face future challenges.

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"There’s a lot of unknowns, and across the Air Force, we’re testing various approaches — not just to see if they work, but to train our minds to think differently and adapt to evolving situations."

- Maj. Brendan Arbuckle, 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Capabilities chief of tactics
 

 
 
 
 
 
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