The Air Mobility Command handles the movement of people equipment and supplies across the US Air Force as one of its primary major commands activated in 1992 with four key roles including airlift air refueling mobility support and medical evacuations.

The Air Mobility Command Museum on Dover Air Force Base in Delaware exhibits more than 35 aircraft tied to those missions and welcomes the public through a dedicated entrance with free admission even though it sits on an active installation.

Visitors begin with the cab of the base former air traffic control tower that stood 103 feet tall and operated around the clock from 1956 until 2009 when a new facility replaced it at a cost of 16.2 million dollars the preserved section rises 39 feet and overlooks the outdoor aircraft collection while offering distant views of ongoing base operations.

A display case near the tower stairs holds the key to the Space Shuttle Discovery which Dover served as an alternate landing site though it was never used the fire department kept the key ready for potential astronaut extraction.

One standout aircraft is the VC-9C a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 that served mainly as the vice presidential plane from 1975 to 2011 while also carrying first ladies and cabinet officials it occasionally operated as Air Force One for Presidents Reagan George H W Bush Clinton and George W Bush measuring 119 feet 5 inches long with a 93-foot 5-inch wingspan it included a communications area and a large stateroom with a convertible couch.

The C-141B Starlifter known as the workhorse of the force transported troops vehicles and cargo from the Vietnam era through Operation Iraqi Freedom operating between 1965 and 2006 before the C-17 Globemaster III took over it could haul up to 68 000 pounds including 13 standard pallets and reach speeds of 500 miles per hour.

Another highlight is the C-130 Hercules which holds the record for the longest continuous production run of any military aircraft dozens of nations rely on it for cargo troop transport humanitarian aid medical evacuations disaster relief and firefighting with options for gunship or ski configurations Lockheed Martin has produced variants for more than 70 years.

The museum is the sole location worldwide offering permanent public access to a C-5A Galaxy the largest plane in the US Air Force fleet these strategic lifters move tanks missiles and helicopters the C-5A introduced in 1970 stretches 247 feet with a wingspan exceeding 222 feet and carries up to 264 440 pounds of cargo plus 73 passengers accommodating seven UH-1 Hueys or two M-1A1 Abrams tanks the displayed aircraft was also the first and only one to launch an ICBM while airborne and was retired in 2017 after upgrades to later models.

Preceding the Galaxy the C-133B Cargomaster served as the largest turboprop in the inventory from 1957 to 1971 designed to carry ballistic missiles its 13 000-cubic-foot bay held 110 000 pounds and fully assembled Thor Jupiter or Atlas rockets the exhibit features a 1972 Ford Custom and a 1956 International Harvester fire truck inside to illustrate the space.

A tour of the KC-10A Extender reveals its aerial refueling capabilities transferring up to 56 154 gallons midflight the first unit built now on display entered service in 1981 with the final retirement in 2024 visitors can examine the joystick controlling the refueling boom at the operator station.

The museum also displays an earlier KC-135E Stratotanker still represented in the fleet through modernized versions the E model carried 200 000 pounds of transferable fuel or 83 000 pounds of cargo for up to 80 passengers and used a boom system the last E variant retired in 2009 each originally costing 39.6 million dollars.

Some areas prohibit photography due to the base role housing the 436th Airlift Wing with C-5M and C-17 aircraft plus mortuary operations for dignified transfers of fallen service members signs in the parking lot remind visitors of these connections to current military activities.