AMC melded MAC's worldwide airlift system of primarily C-5 Galaxy, C-141 Starlifter (later replaced by C-17 Globemaster III beginning in 1995), and C-130 Hercules airlift aircraft with SAC's tanker force of KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender aerial refueling aircraft, the latter air refueling aircraft having been freed from their strategic nuclear strike commitment to SAC's B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer bomber fleet by the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Many special duty and operational support aircraft (OSA) and stateside aeromedical evacuation missions are also assigned to AMC.

[citation needed] U.S. forces must provide a rapid, tailored response that can intervene against a well-equipped foe, hit hard, and terminate quickly.

As the number of U.S. forces stationed overseas continues to decline, global interests remain, making the capabilities AMC can provide even more in demand.

To accomplish this mission, AMC established two Contingency Response Wings, and operates the Eagle Flag exercise.

It provides airlift, special missions, aerial refueling, and aeromedical evacuation for the United States armed forces.

Finally, AMC acts as the single manager, on behalf of United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), for Military Space Available Travel.

[citation needed] Principal aircraft assets of the command include: C-17 Globemaster III, C-5 Galaxy, C-130 Hercules, KC-135 Stratotanker, C-40 Clipper, C-37 Gulfstream V, and the C-21 Learjet.

These units train and exercise frequently and routinely provide augmentative operational support to AMC's active duty forces.

Focusing on the core mission of strategic air mobility, the command divested itself of infrastructure and forces not directly related to Global Reach.

Command tankers and airlifters have supported peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Cambodia, Somalia, Rwanda and Haiti, and continue to play a vital role in the ongoing Global War on Terrorism.

[5] AMC coordinates wildlife management on overseas runways between several agencies, including deployments in southwest Asia.

[11] AMC accepted its first C-17 Globemaster III at Charleston AFB, South Carolina, on 14 June 1993, and declared initial operational capability on 17 January 1995.

In 2004, 2005, and 2006, the C-141s assigned to the 445 AW participated in missions to Iraq and Afghanistan, mostly for the medical evacuation of wounded service members.

Acquired by SAC in the late 1950s, according to the Air Force, only a few KC-135s would reach these lifetime limits before 2040; but at that time, some of the aircraft would be about 80 years old.

In an attempt to modernize the platform, the USAF has awarded Boeing a US$216 million contract to upgrade its fleet of 59 aircraft with new communication, navigation, and surveillance and air traffic management system to operate into the 2020s.