721st Air Mobility Operations Group

721st Air Mobility Operations Group
C-17 Globemaster III at Ramstein AB, Germany in 2022
721st Air Mobility Operations Group C-17 Globemaster III at Ramstein AB, Germany in 2022
Active	1983 – present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airlift Support
Part of	Air Mobility Command United States Air Force Expeditionary Center 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing; ;
Garrison/HQ	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
721st Air Mobility Operations Group emblem

The 721st Air Mobility Operations Group (721 AMOG) is a United States Air Force (USAF) unit assigned to the 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing, stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

History

The squadron was reactivated in 1977 to operate the

United States Army Europe

(USAREUR) forces units in Germany.

In August 1983, the squadron expanded to group size and was assigned separate aerial port and maintenance squadrons to carry out its mission. It was also assigned its first flying squadron, the

C-23 Sherpa transports in support of USAFE's European Distribution System (EDS) was also reassigned from the 322d Airlift Division in 1984.^[2] The EDS was organized to give units in Europe a quicker way to receive small equipment items or supplies on a round-the-clock basis, without the expense of the larger cargo aircraft. The group also supported Special Air Transportation of HQ USAFE executives with a fleet of light transport. The 10th MAS was inactivated in 1991.^[2]

in 1992, USAF embarked on a major reorganization of its Major Commands. In this reorganization, theater airlift was reassigned from the inactivating MAC. The host

Twenty-First Air Force

. It became the 721st Air Mobility Operations Group in 2001.

The group's Detachment 5 was located at Balad Air Base with a mission to recover and launch AMC aircraft transiting Balad, minimizing ground time to reduce exposure to enemy attacks,^[3] In 2008, AMC activated the 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing at Ramstein. The 521st assumed the theater air mobility support mission and the squadrons of the 721st located away from Ramstein were reassigned to it,

Lineage

Constituted as the 608th Military Airlift Group on 1 July 1983

Activated on 1 August 1983^[4]

Redesignated 608th Airlift Support Group on 1 June 1992

Redesignated 621st Air Mobility Support Group on 1 July 1994

Redesignated 721st Air Mobility Operations Group on 15 March 2001

Assignments

322d Airlift Division, 1 August 1983
Twenty-First Air Force (later 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force), 1 March 1992
521st Air Mobility Operations Wing, 1 September 2008 – present

Stations

Ramstein AB, West Germany (later Germany), 1 August 1983 – present

Subordinate Units

10th Military Airlift Squadron, 15 March 1984 – 31 March 1991^[2]
58th Military Airlift Squadron, 1 August 1983 – 1 June 1992^[1]
608th Aerial Port Squadron, 1 August 1983 – 1 July 1992
608th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (later 608th Maintenance Squadron), 1 August 1983 – 1 July 1994
623d Air Mobility Support Squadron (later 623d Air Mobility Operations Squadron, 723d Air Mobility Squadron), 1 July 1994 – present
625th Airlift Support Squadron (later 625th Air Mobility Support Squadron, 725th Air Mobility Squadron), 1 June 1992 – 1 September 2008

Located at Torrejon Air Base, Spain. Moved to

Naval Station Rota Spain

627th Airlift Support Squadron (later 627th Air Mobility Support Squadron, 627th Air Mobility Operations Squadron, 727th Air Mobility Squadron), 1 August 1993 – 1 September 2008

Located at RAF Mildenhall, England

779th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron unknown date (c.2002?) – inactivated 15 April 2006^[5]

Ramstein Air Base, Germany

Aircraft

C-12F, 1983–1992
C-21, 1983–1992
C-20, 1983–1992
C-23A, 1983–1992
C-135, 1983–1992

Awards and campaigns

Award	Dates	Notes
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 August 1983 – 31 July 1985	^[6]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 April 1992 – 31 March 1994	^[6]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 January 2003 – 30 September 2004	^[6]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 October 2005 – 30 September 2006	^[6]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 October 2006 – 30 September 2007	^[6]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 October 2007 – 30 September 2008	^[6]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 October 2008 – 30 September 2009	^[6]

References

Notes

^ ^a ^b AFHRA Factsheet, 58th Airlift Squadron Archived 6 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 24 October 2012)
^ ^a ^b ^c AFHRA Factsheet, 10th Airlift Squadron Archived 23 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 24 October 2012)
^ SRA Croxon, James, Aviation Pros: Balad's Mission Begins with Strategic Airlift, Jan 8, 2007 (Retrieved 24 October 2012)
^ Although the 608th Military Airlift Support Squadron was simultaneously inactivated at Ramstein Air Base, the two units are not related for lineage.
^ Research Division, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Air Force Organization Change Status Report, April 2006, Maxwell AFB, AL
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Air Force Personnel Services Unit Awards (Retrieved 24 October 2012)

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

External links

AMC stands up new en route structure wing in Europe (Retrieved 24 Oct 2012)

[58MASfacts-1] AFHRA Factsheet, 58th Airlift Squadron Archived 6 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 24 October 2012)

[10MASfacts-2] AFHRA Factsheet, 10th Airlift Squadron Archived 23 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 24 October 2012)

[3] SRA Croxon, James, Aviation Pros: Balad's Mission Begins with Strategic Airlift, Jan 8, 2007 (Retrieved 24 October 2012)

[4] Although the 608th Military Airlift Support Squadron was simultaneously inactivated at Ramstein Air Base, the two units are not related for lineage.

[AFOSCRapril2006-5] Research Division, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Air Force Organization Change Status Report, April 2006, Maxwell AFB, AL

[AFawards-6] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Air Force Personnel Services Unit Awards (Retrieved 24 October 2012)

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