Courtesy Photo | Airmen from the 515 Air Mobility Operations Wing perform repairs to an engine during...... read more read more
The 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing hosted its inaugural Mobility Vanguard at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, March 12–13, 2026, bringing together 86 Airmen from 13 units across the Total Force to test technical expertise, teamwork and mission readiness.
Across the flightline and maintenance areas, Airmen worked against the clock to complete technical challenges designed to simulate real-world mobility operations. The events mirrored the operational demands Airmen face when supporting global air mobility missions and sustaining rapid throughput across the Indo-Pacific.
Mobility Vanguard 2026 built upon the foundation of last year’s Air Mobility Team Rodeo, expanding the scope of the competition to highlight the wing’s focus on readiness, integration and operational excellence across the mobility enterprise.
“This competition is about sharpening the skills our Airmen rely on every day to keep global mobility moving,” said Col. Jens D. Lyndrup, 515th AMOW commander. “Events like Mobility Vanguard allow our teams to practice under pressure, build confidence in their craft and strengthen the readiness we need to support joint operations anywhere in the world.”
In 2025, the 515 AMOW hosted the Air Mobility Team Rodeo for Air Mobility Teams across six squadrons, reinforcing Air Force Specialty Code core task competency, physical fitness and the warrior mindset through a hands-on competition.
This year, the event was rebranded to better represent the wing’s commitment to rapid global mobility, theater integration and continued advancement across the air transportation and maintenance career fields.
The two-day event featured aerial port and maintenance challenges designed to test Airmen’s technical skills under high-stress conditions and tight time constraints while promoting friendly competition across the wing.
Aerial port competitors were evaluated on aircraft load reconfigurations, joint vehicle inspections, pallet build-ups, 10K forklift operations, cargo off-loads, Air Transportability Test Loading Activity certification and AFSC-specific knowledge tests.
At the same time, maintenance Airmen competed in events including maintenance knowledge tests, pre- and post-landing inspections, safety wire boards, seat installation and removal, C-17 nose tire changes and engine installations.
“This event brought the best of us forward,” said Charles Medford, 735th Air Mobility Squadron aerial port technician and MVR competitor. “We’ve all put blood, sweat and tears into this mission and it means a lot to me that we are all working together to serve our country.”
On the final day, all teams participated in a rigorous combat fitness competition, testing their endurance, strength and teamwork.
Mobility Vanguard also provided an opportunity for Airmen from across the Total Force to collaborate, share best practices and strengthen partnerships throughout the Indo-Pacific region and beyond
“Trust is the foundation to everything that we do,” Lyndrup remarked. “When we consistently continue to train and work together across the AMOW, we strengthen our common playbook. Common playbooks build that trust.”
The 732nd Air Mobility Squadron won the overall aerial port operations team award, the 730th AMS and 734th AMXS team won the overall maintenance event, Team PACAF; Comprised of the 647th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 36th LRS and 773rd LRS won first place in the Combat Fitness course and the 732 AMS aerial port team earned the overall winner of the 2026 515 AMOW Mobility Vanguard Rodeo.
“Our Airmen are the decisive advantage behind every mission we support,” Lyndrup said. “Mobility Vanguard highlights the professionalism, technical expertise and warrior mindset that allow this wing to project mobility power across the Indo-Pacific and keep the mission moving.”
| Date Taken: | 03.17.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.30.2026 16:14 |
| Story ID: | 561578 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 20 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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