Total mobility flow: a post-Kosovo role for the DIRMOBFOR - Inside Logistics: Exploring the Heart of Logistics - director of mobility forces

Air Force Journal of Logistics, Spring, 2002 by Nonie Cabana

Air mobility played a crucial role by enabling and sustaining the air war that ultimately forced Milosevic to NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] demands. (1)

Lieutenant General William J. Begert, USAFE Vice Commander

Introduction

The commander in chief (CING) did not have a total mobility flowmaster fusing the strategic mobility triad (airlift, sealift, and prepositioning) during Operation Allied Force. Rather, he had a director of mobility forces (DTRMOBFOR) whose focus centered on airlift coordination. A sealift and prepositioning coordinator was missing, which resulted in a stovepiped and less-than optimal mobility flow in the CING's theater of operations. Simply put, use of airlift was lopsided compared to use of sealift and prepositioned assets.

To capitalize on experience gained during Operation Allied Force, this article investigates the post-Kosovo role of the director of mobility forces in integrating the total mobility system, thus enabling the commander in chief to enhance force buildup and closure capability in the future. Two critical things were not accomplished effectively during Operation Allied Force, which degraded achieving the CING's objectives. First, establishing various task force (TF) organizations to support different missions, as well as separation of the director of mobility forces and joint forces air component commander (JFACC), disrupted unity of command. Second, there was no single flowmaster to fuse all mobility requirements.

Key players in Operation Allied Force were the director of mobility forces and operational commanders (commander in chief, joint force commander, commander joint task force, and component/functional commanders). The director of mobility forces exercised coordinating authority between the airlift control center, air mobility element, joint movement center, and air operations center to expedite the resolution of airlift problems. (2) The duties and authority of the director of mobility forces were as directed by the commander, commander of Air Force forces (COMAFFOR), or JFACC to satisfy the objectives of the joint force commander. (3) The operational commanders were responsible for accomplishing the objectives of the commander in chief, They are the operators who can make the DIRMOBFOR job easy or difficult, depending on how theater command and control (C2) is organized.

There is general agreement among operational commanders that airlift is the preferred choice for rapid delivery of combat power or humanitarian relief to trouble spots worldwide- specifically, deployment, sustainment, and simply doing good things for Americans and other nations needing help. Colonel Coy, Operation Allied Force Deputy Director of Mobility Forces, affirmed this preference when he said, "Airlift is like candy. Everybody wants some ... I want it now ... I want it all." (4) Unfortunately, there is insufficient candy to pass around to everyone. Thus, use of other lift assets, such as sealift, is important and necessary.

When the Cold War ended, the Air Force formulated its Global Reach, Global Power vision. Essentially, Global Reach represented the strategic capability of the mobility air forces to deploy, sustain, and redeploy warfighters and their equipment to any part of the globe. Global Power reflected the combat forces' contribution to the equation. Today, the Air Force vision is the ability to deploy an aerospace expeditionary force to any brewing conflict or contingency on a moment's notice.

Historically, mobility air forces have proven their mettle when confronted with conflicts or contingencies. This was done under the leadership of commanders sporting a variety of titles: commander of airlift forces during the Cold War; commander of mobility forces during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm; and director of mobility forces following Desert Shield/Desert Storm, in particular during Operation Allied Force.

Lineage of Mobility Air Forces

The lineage of air mobility forces goes back to the World War II Hump airlift experience in Asia. Lieutenant General William H. Tunner controlled theater airlift distribution within China, while Major General Claire Chennault commanded the air combat forces. (5) Tunner believed his controlling airlift both into and within China facilitated the most effective utilization of assets. Chennault argued that, as Burma airlift assets periodically performed air distribution within China, he should control and direct them once they arrived in his theater. However, external developments caused by increased offensive maneuvers from Japanese forces compelled Chennault to concentrate totally on combat operations, allowing Tunner to retain sole control of airlift. (6)

During the Berlin Airlift (1948-49), General Tunner served as the theater airlift commander and worked under the commander in chief, United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). Tunner coordinated informally with the Military Air Transport Service, the predecessor of Military Airlift Command (MAC) and today's Air Mobility Command (AMC). (7)