CR Airmen 'bring order to the chaos'

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Daniel Cordes
  • 570th Global Mobility Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  When I tell people I am part of the 570th Global Mobility Squadron here at Travis the usual question is, "What aircraft do you all fly?" 

The GMS is not a flying squadron, but rather it is part of Air Mobility Command's Contingency Response Force.  CR provides "first responder" forces at locations where air operations infrastructure is insufficient or non-existent. Capabilities span the spectrum of military operations from advising partner nations, linking the joint force to air mobility assets, assessing airfields, establishing initial air operations and providing theater-level command and control.

CR brings functions from across the Air Force into a single, cohesive unit unlike any other. The GMS provides the core capabilities to initially open and operate an airfield. The name invokes AMC's global reach mission but lacks the emphasis on the true responsive nature of the squadron.

This June, the GMS along with our fellow CR Airmen in the global mobility readiness squadron will be renamed as the contingency response squadron. This simple change will help solidify the identity of the squadron and its Airmen, but what is that identity and what is a CR Airman?

The core trait of the CR Airman is to always be ready. This means that the CR mission requires these Airmen to be continuously globally deployable within 12 hours of notification.  It is this rapid response to answering the call that turns these Airmen, who are part of a tactical-level team, into a national strategic asset. 

Their value is the options and decision space they create to allow the U.S. to project power anywhere in the world within just a few hours where there is a usable landing surface. CR Airmen operate within the chaos of the moment before there is clarity to the situation. It is their mission to bring order out of the chaos. To do this, the CR Airmen must first be an expert in their function, but even more importantly be highly adaptable, versatile and, of course, always ready.

In order to have the required capabilities to assess and establish air operations, CR forces are a diverse cross-section of standard Air Force specialty codes, yet the responsive nature of the CR mission requires a light footprint for both personnel and equipment. As a result, CR Airmen must be cross-functional and collaborative. They must understand what each member of the team brings to the fight. 

Moreover, they must reach across specialty codes to learn regulations, systems and equipment they would otherwise never see.  CR Airmen understand the mission as a whole, rather than possessing a strict functional area focus. This understanding and diversity allows CR airmen at every level to identify creative, impactful solutions within and beyond their specialty. 

  Diversity stems from the way each of us experiences life. It drives our perspective and shapes our thinking. Combining differences in perspective enhances creativity and in the CR world it is our Airmen's diverse perspectives that allow for versatile solutions that may not be visible when looking through a functional specific lens.

CR Airmen must be willing to communicate their perspectives, understand what it means to respect each other's ideas and be able to count on each other to voice opinions.  "Empowerment to enhance mission effectiveness" is not a clever catch phrase. It is inherent in the job of every CR Airman and it is their duty to keep improving the mission.

We ask our CR Airmen to bring order to the chaos, whether after a natural disaster or at the onset of contingency operations. It requires Airmen who can get to the crisis quickly, are highly qualified in their fields and can adapt to a variety of different roles. The CR Airmen must be able to lead small-footprint, highly mobile, joint teams in highly uncertain environments. These teams must be able to perform the full spectrum of support operations found throughout AMC, and they must be successful often with minimal external support. 

These requirements drive the definition of a CR Airman as a mission-focused, creative thinker and versatile leader who is always ready to answer the nation's call.