The (United States Air Force Expeditionary Center ) was first opened as the Air Mobility Warfare Center on May 1, 1994, and officially received its mission on Oct. 1, 1994. At first opening, the Center operated the Phoenix Ace Combat Readiness Exercise and Evaluation Course, Mobile Air Tactics School, Force Support and Readiness Course, Maintenance Training Qualification Program Course, Air Transport Manager Course, Director of Mobility Forces Course, Environmental Control Unit Course, Intermediate Wartime Contingencies Course, Cargo Operations and Systems Course, Passenger Operations and Systems Course, Command and Control Information Processing Systems Course.

The Center was officially renamed the United States Air Force Expeditionary Center (USAF EC) on March 4, 2007. It is the Air Force's leader in expeditionary training offering over 90 courses. On January 7, 2011, the Center expanded in scope, taking added responsibility for evolving Air Mobility Command (AMC) mission sets. These include installation support missions unique to three Joint Bases within the Command, as well as at two AMC bases where missions are evolving as a result of previous Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decisions.

Courses at the Expeditionary Center include the Combat Airman Skills Training course, Air Force Exercise EAGLE FLAG, Air Force Phoenix Warrior and Phoenix Raven Training Courses, Advanced Study of Air Mobility, Aerial Port Operations Course and more. Through all of the courses – whether in the classroom, in the field, or through distance learning, more than 24,000 students are trained on how to build "Airpower...from the ground up – from the Flightline to the Frontline."

The USAF EC is the Air Force's Center of Excellence for advanced mobility and expeditionary combat support (ECS) training and education. The Expeditionary Center provides command oversight to five AMC units and two unique schools. Located on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., the USAF EC partners with Air Staff, AMC, Air Education and Training Command and the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center to provide a disciplined training process that assures the right skills are taught at the right time across the expeditionary enterprise. The USAF EC maximizes ECS assets to meet emerging missions, and most importantly, is accountable to provide standardized and ready forces to enable "Airpower...from the ground up!"

The Expeditionary Center’s eight subordinate units consist of the 43rd Airlift Group, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.; the 87th Air Base Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.; the 319th Air Refueling Wing, Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.; the 621st Contingency Response Wing, JB MDL;the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; the 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany; the 628th Air Base Wing, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.; and the 627th Air Base Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. Both the 87th Air Base Wing and the 628th Air Base Wing are the Air Force leads on Joint Bases that host AMC flying wings, along with other DoD partners. The 43rd Airlift Group and 627th Air Base Group enjoy unique partnerships with the U.S. Army, while the 319th Air Refueling Wing supports the Department of Homeland Defense and Air Combat Command emerging missions. The 515th and 521st AMOWs, along with the 621st CRW, are responsible for en route and expeditionary combat support, contingency response and partner capacity building mission sets around the globe.