615th CRW to host Contingency Response Commander's Conference

  • Published
  • By Maj. Joseph Wenckus
  • 572nd Global Mobility Readiness Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The 615th Contingency Response Wing will host the Contingency Response Commander's Conference from Dec. 3 through 6 at Travis.

"This will be a perfect opportunity for contingency response group leaders from around the world to come together at one place to discuss the best practices and help pave the road for the way ahead," said Col. Tony Hinen, 615th CRW commander.

The theme of the year's conference is "The Contingency Response Community - We've Come a Long Way Since 1999."

The theme acknowledges the ground breaking efforts and innovative techniques that helped start the contingency response community. The Air Force's first-ever contingency response group, the 86th Contingency Response Group, was created at Ramstein Air Base in 1999.

The theme also recognizes that, although the contingency response community is spread out across the world to include three active duty major commands and the Air National Guard, it is still a community of professionals dedicated to their expeditionary mission.

One of the highlights of the conference includes a presentation by Col. A. Ray Myers, Air Mobility Command's Tanker Airlift Control Center.

The keynote address will be given by Maj. Gen. Kip Self, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center commander.

Although this is the first time the 615th CRW will host a Contingency Response Commander's Conference, the topics of discussion are robust and inputs have been compiled from CRG units around the world.

Discussions on investigating how other countries accomplish the same mission, tackling the problems of standardization of manpower, training and structure among the CRGs and how PBD 720 is affecting the mission now and in the future will be included.