Its primary mission was to employ rapidly deployable cross-functional teams to open forward airbases in an expeditionary environment.

Headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California, the [wing]'s primary mission [was] to employ rapidly deployable cross-functional teams to quickly open forward airbases in an expeditionary environment to meet combatant commanders' needs.

The wing employed mission-ready airfield assessment teams, airfield operations, command and control, aerial port, and aircraft maintenance personnel, as well as airlift, weather, medical, intelligence, air traffic control, security forces, finance, fuels, supply and contracting personnel to project and sustain forces worldwide.

With an assigned military and civilian work force of more than 650 personnel in May 2005, the wing was composed of three contingency response groups, a global support squadron and a command staff.

Previous operations of the wing had been humanitarian relief missions or opening ports for joint task forces.