Honorary Commanders and Civic Leaders,
Over the past 6 months, we’ve been incredibly grateful for the opportunities to open the gates (literally) at Travis AFB and begin sharing and celebrating our Airmen and mission with each of you. From unit immersions to civic leader tours to the impending holiday season, it’s been incredible to continue building our partnerships and community.
A critical piece of feedback to our team was improving on a consistent dialogue or feed of base news and updates outside of your specific squadrons, units, or programs. Our intent moving forward is to send at least a monthly roll up of Team Travis stories, wins, or updates you can use! This is the first iteration, so please provide you thoughts…what do you like/what is missing? As the sun sets on some of your tours in the Honorary Commander program, this roll up is something we want to provide you as graduated alumni, too. Once you’re a member of our Team Travis community, we’re focused on maintaining and only growing that relationship…no matter your status in any one program. We can’t do this without each and every one of you.
So here it goes…what’s happening at Travis AFB….
UPCOMING EVENTS:
- 1 Dec @ 5 p.m. – Holiday Tree Lighting, Airman & Family Readiness Center
- 3 Dec - HCC Immersion Tour with 60th Mission Support Group
- 3 Dec @ 7 p.m. and 4 Dec @ 3 p.m. – Band of the Golden West Holiday Concert at Vacaville Performing Arts Center
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE:
- 24 Dec – Christmas Observed
- 27 Dec – AMC Family Day
- 31 Dec – News Year’s Observed
- 3 Jan – AMC Family Day
NEWS/UPDATES:
Another SBIR success brings AR innovation to TAFB: Maintainers at Travis Air Force Base, California, may soon be able to communicate directly with home base subject matter experts anywhere in the world while tackling maintenance issues thanks to an augmented reality headset procured by Mira in partnership with Travis AFB’s Phoenix Spark cell. The Mira contract comes as a result of the Air Force’s Small Business Innovation Research grants that aim to seed the growth of small businesses and assist development of technology with the potential for dual-use application in both civilian and military use-cases.
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Rosie the Riveter Documentary: A production team from the Rosie the Riveter National Park Trust visited Travis AFB, Oct. 27 to film a segment for a documentary about Rosie Ambassadors with Travis AFB women that met the real Rosie the Riveters back in 2019. Three Airmen from Team Travis who met the Rosies back in 2019 (SMSgt Enden Harrington, Career Assistance Advisor, 60th FSS, TSgt Callie Aberin, PME Instructor, 60th FSS and SrA Kelcie Edwards, Airfield Management Shift Lead, 60th OSS) and are still stationed at the base were interviewed. Questions focused on their current jobs, what the Rosie iconic poster means to them, how they connect with the Rosies working in the military today, what it meant to them meeting the Rosies in 2019, and any closing thoughts they had about the strength of the women that came before us. Video will be released at the Rosie the Riveter National Museum: March 21, 2022.
Women of the Year 2021: Congressman John Garamendi’s 2021 Women of the Year awards are an effort to publicly honor outstanding women residing in California’s Third Congressional District. The Congressman invites organizations and individuals from each of the eight counties — Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Sacramento, Solano, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba — to submit nominations of exceptional women in their communities. Col Gwen Foster, 60 MDG/CC, and Col Erin Cook, 349 MXG/CC (Reserves), were recognized among 40 other nominees in the district at a ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 9.
Continued Support to NASA: The 60th Aerial Port Squadron supported the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command by organizing the cargo load and transportation of a launch vehicle and launch stand from Astra, a wholly-owned U.S. company based in Alameda, California, Oct. 14, 2021. An Astra Rocket 3.3 launch vehicle and launch stand were relocated from Astra headquarters to the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska in Kodiak, Alaska, where Astra will conduct a demonstration launch on behalf of SSC and DoD’s Space Test Program. Following this support, APS members brought a K-loader to Moffitt Field to assist Lockheed Martin with the offloading of the ORION Heat Shield for NASA’s Super Guppy. Finally, on Nov. 9, the 22 AS assisted Lockheed Martin and NASA with the movement of a GOES-T satellite from Buckley SFB to the Kennedy Space Center. This is NASA’s 3rd satellite in the GOES-R satellite series, and once launched, it will contribute to more accurate and timely forecasting of severe weather that will save lives and property.
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22 AS (C-5s) deliver humanitarian aid while accomplishing training: Airmen assigned to the 22nd Airlift Squadron and 60th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron from Travis AFB delivered more than 56,000 pounds of humanitarian cargo to the Dominican Republic, as part of the Denton Program, Oct. 28, 2021. The cargo, comprised of firefighting equipment including a fire truck, will modernize fire response and rescue capabilities for the Dominican community, Vicente Noble Barahona. The Denton Program, a Department of Defense-led transportation program that moves humanitarian cargo donated by non-governmental organizations, remains a significant resource for developing nations. Every month, the 22nd AS conducts a Major Command Service Tail Trainer, and the Denton mission provided an opportunity to apply the lessons learned during the training to a real-world operation.
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Salute to Service Game: Approximately 20 Team Travis members (CRG, 349 & 60 AMW) attended the Sacramento Kings “Salute to Service” basketball game on 8 Nov. The Band of the Golden West also performed during the half-time show. The members in attendance were al critical player in the support to the HKIA NEO, and we recognized as local heroes during a timeout of the game.
Team Travis completes readiness training: Travis Air Force Base personnel dropped, covered and held on during a basewide earthquake drill, then evaluated their chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear skills during a multi-day exercise on 21st and 28th of Oct. Travis AFB regularly conducts specific exercises to train Airmen on new skills and maintain proficiency. In phase one of the exercise, the base participated in the great California Shake Out, an annual earthquake drill conducted throughout the state. Travis AFB resides in Northern California, an area of the country prone to earthquakes. The Green Valley fault, running between the cities of Fairfield and Napa, is primed for a magnitude 6.7 or greater quake in the imminent future, according to researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey and San Francisco State University.
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Defense Health Agency Market Ceremony: Dr. Brian Lein, assistant director for Healthcare Administration, Defense Health Agency (DHA), hosted a ceremony and a media roundtable to announce and introduce the Sacramento Military Health System as the new Sacramento Market on Nov. 17. The ceremony formally establish the transition of Sacramentobased military treatment facilities into a new military medical market that includes the David USAF Grant Medical Center, the McClellan satellite clinic in Sacramento, VA Fairfield Outpatient Clinic, a Clinical Investigation Facility, two communitysupported Fisher Houses, the West Coast’s largest Hyperbaric Medicine chamber, and the Armed Services Whole Blood Processing Laboratory.
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Travis aerial porter epitomizes excellence, earns A/TA award: Senior Airman Aundrea Britt, 60th Aerial Port Squadron Air Transportation Operation Center information controller, was awarded the Col. Gail Halvorsen Award. The Airlift/Tanker Association-sponsored award recognizes an Airman from the air transportation career field who has sustained an excellent record of accomplishment in aerial port operations.
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60th SFS conducts K-9 unit training with local and federal law enforcement agencies: The 60th Security Forces Squadron military working dog unit conducted K-9 explosive detection training with Defenders from Beale Air Force Base, as well as local and federal law enforcement agencies Nov. 9. The training also included Travis AFB’s explosive ordnance disposal technicians and representatives from the FBI; TSA; ATF; Federal Reserve; Homeland Security; LRE3 Consulting and the Sacramento County Sherriff’s Office.
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Tuskegee Airman Inc. hosts event empowering future aviators: Leaders of the Lee A. Archer Jr. Chapter of Tuskegee Airman Inc. hosted a youth outreach event Nov. 20, 2021, to inspire young people to pursue careers in aviation, aerospace science and technology. The event educated a young community of six grade students about the legacy of Tuskegee Airmen and the significant accomplishments of African Americans who participated in the original Tuskegee flight experiment.
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KC-46A 3-bay hangar top off ceremony: IN another construction milestone for the KC-46A 3-bay hangar, the contractor here held a topping out ceremony Nov. 16, 2021. Topping out is a builder’s tradition where the last beam is placed at the peak of the structure being built. The hangar will be utilized for the maintenance of Travis AFB’s future KC-46 tanker jet inventory upon its completion in 2023.
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COVID pediatric vaccines available: On Nov 18, David Grant Medical Center began scheduling and issuing the COVID-19 vaccine for pediatric patients ages 5 – 11 years old. DGMC remains a dual-site for both Moderna and the Pfizer vaccines.
BG Larry Wright (ret) inducted into Georgia Veterans Hall of Fame: U.S. Air Force retired Brig. Gen. Larry Wright was inducted into the Georgia Veterans Hall of Fame, Nov. 6, 2021. Gen. Wright commissioned into the Air Force in 1960 through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Maryland. Some of his highest decorations include the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster and the Distinguished Flying Cross. The general was a command pilot with 7,400 flying hours, including 1,874 combat flying hours and 533 maintenance test flight hours. He began his career as a lieutenant at Travis AFB, later spending his last state-side assignment at Travis AFB as the vice commander, 22nd Air Force, Military Airlift Command.
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Tournament of Roses President visits Team Travis: Dr. Robert Miller, President of Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, California, and his wife visited Travis AFB from 10-12 November to preview the Band of the Golden West. In addition to band performances, Dr. Miller received an abbreviated Line of Fire demo from the CRW, a C-5M static display, and Phoenix Spark immersion during his visit. The BotGW was selected as a performer in the annual Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan 1, 2022 in conjunction with the Rose Bowl. The CSAF is tentatively the reviewing official for the parade with a potential Thunderbirds flyover.
20 th Annual Holiday Tree Festival raises historical $45K for the Fisher House: The 60th Maintenance Group hosted the 20th iteration of their holiday tree festival and auction with Team Travis Airmen and community leaders. The event raised a new record of more than $45,000 and all proceeds will go directly to the Travis Fisher House.
Local Airmen recognized for Native American History Month: SrA Shelby Yellowhair was featured by Travis PA in various social media posts at the beginning of November, spurring attention and coverage from both DOD PA and the local media. She participated in a media interview with KXSF 102.5FM, San Fran, radio station to discuss her experiences as a Native American Airman and how her family values/culture have impacted her service. She was then selected by OSD to participate in the closing ceremony for Native American History Month at the Pentagon on Tues, Nov. 30. She is an Airmen in the 60th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron with the C-5 Galaxy.
