Air Mobility Command's smallest wing wins big

  • Published
  • By Capt. Paradon Silpasornprasit
  • 615th Contingency Response Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The 615th Contingency Response Wing recently won Air Mobility Command's Verne Orr Award, which recognizes the Air Force unit that makes the most effective use of its human resources.

The award was established by the Air Force Association, in honor of former Secretary of the Air Force Verne Orr, to recognize mission-oriented unit accomplishments and achievements using personnel to their full potential in order to accomplish the mission.
More than 20 AMC units competed for the award, proving that although the 615 CRW is AMC's smallest wing, it has a huge mission impact.

"While I am genuinely proud of each member of the CRW, it is great to see AMC recognize the contributions and impact of our warrior Airmen as they support operations around the world," said Col. John Lipinski, 615th CRW commander.

"The men and women of the 615th Contingency Response Wing have proven themselves leaders in the air mobility community by supporting 270 taskings and deploying more than 25,000 man-days in support of worldwide operations," said Gen. Raymond Johns Jr., commander, Air Mobility Command. In addition to facilitating ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the 615th CRW postured and rapidly responded to humanitarian relief efforts in Africa, presidential travel in the Caribbean and several large-scale exercises in the Pacific.

"The 615th CRW's unwavering commitment to excellence and ability to provide global reach to the Air Force mission are truly outstanding."

Last year, the 615th CRW deployed members to 125 locations supporting combatant commanders around the globe, turned three austere Afghan airfields into airlift hubs - laying the foundation for the troop surge, and expanded port operations at Camp Bastion with 446 aircraft -- a 1,200 percent increase that paved the way to sustain Operation Enduring Freedom.

The 615th CRW expertly managed its resources to meet the demand of contingency operations around the world. It led Africa Command's first-ever airlift operation bringing United Nations relief from Rwanda to Darfur, Sudan, setting the standard for future engagements. The 615th also oversaw a $200,000 phased runway-crater-repair project that ensured uninterrupted mission operations. They managed aeromedical evacuation assets at four bases and 12 crews that successfully MEDEVAC'd 5,200 injured warriors with 98 percent survival rate. The wing also pioneered AMC's first Fox News embed bringing positive coverage of Department of Defense and Air Force missions to 89 million homes in 30 countries.

The 615th CRW relies on the varied skill sets and innovation of its Airmen to accomplish its mission, which often times entails a very short-notice response to a remote location. It is a wing that continues to expand upon the concept of global reach and real-world readiness.

The 615th CRW will go on to compete at the Air Force level.