Mobility Crews Active Setting Up Airfields Across CENTCOM

Air mobility crews are active across the Middle East setting up remote airfields, like they did with the Qayyarah West airfield, which Iraqi forces retook from ISIS last year. Air Mobility Command chief Gen. Carlton Everhart, citing security, would not disclose specific locations where Air Force contingency response airmen are active, but said his crews are “always asked to open up airfields” and they are still active as a part of Operation Inherent Resolve and other actions in the Middle East. Airmen in the contingency response crews are tasked with setting up austere airfields, launching? and recovering aircraft, and providing security, Everhart said at AWS17. Airmen last year set up the Qayyarah West airfield south o?f Mosul, extensively repairing the runway and securing it so aircraft, such as C-130s, could fly closer to the front line. Before Qayyarah, the crews also set up the al Taqaddum airfield near Fallujah.