Travis hosts first-ever Contingency Response Commanders Conference

  • Published
  • By Capt. Christopher Schlachter
  • 571st Global Mobility Response Wing
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  This month, Travis hosted the first-ever Contingency Response Commanders Conference Dec. 3 through the 7. 

Contingency response units from all over the world gathered to discuss current hot topics, trade best practices and develop standardized training programs. The Contingency response community provides combatant commanders critical air base opening and mobile command and control of Mobility Air Force assets. 

Representatives of Travis' 615th Contingency Response Wing, McGuire Air Force Bases' 621st CRW, Ramstein Air Bases' 86th Contingency Response Group, Andersen Air Bases' 36th CRG and members from the New Jersey and Kentucky National Guard Contingency Response community attended. 

Feedback from the conference was immediate. 

"In today's resource constrained environment it is tough to predict the future, but determining smarter ways to do business and working together as a team are the best way to provide contingency response capabilities to the warfighter -- this conference did just that!" said Col. Greg Otey, 621st CRW vice commander. 

The conference provided contingency response experts from four major commands the opportunity to learn the differences in contingency response operations among different units. Economy of manpower, standardization of employment procedures and development of master training plans were some of the topics covered during the five-day conference. The attendees' vision was to achieve consensus on coordinated topics, however, those areas not brought to conclusion were set to be followed up at a later date with further research and discussion by all parties involved. 

Working with other contingency response community representatives and Air Mobility Command staff members gave conference participants the opportunity to provide speedy resolution to several hot topics while providing a way ahead for many other concerns. Besides stimulating cross-community conversations, the conference provided community members the chance to glean some words of wisdom from community leaders. Col. A. Ray Myers, 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center, and Maj. Gen. Kip Self, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center commander, both presented key speeches. 

Colonel Myers discussed some lessons learned from contingency response operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom and General Self delivered a keynote address that highlighted the capabilities the association brings to combatant commanders as well as the importance of a unified community. Finally, Maj. Gen. James Hawkins, 18th Air Force commander, highlighted mission readiness as his number one priority. 

"The CRCC was a huge success, bringing contingency response commanders and supporters from across the globe together to discuss the challenges of today and tomorrow, I couldn't be more happy with how this conference turned out, said Col. Richard McClain, 615th CRW vice commander. We have a long way to go, but this is a great step forward ... expedite!"