Base awarded $1.6M for CAF

  • Published
  • By Capt. Melissa J. Milner
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif --  Air Mobility Command awarded $1.6 million to Travis Air Force Base last week for projects that are part of the architecture of Comprehensive Airmen Fitness and aimed at enhancing quality of life for every Airman.

"CAF is a holistic approach to caring for our people," said Col. James Jacobson, 60th Air Mobility Wing vice commander and Travis CAF director. "CAF is the sustainable extension of Year of the Air Force Family. The projects, funded with the CAF dollars, are additional ways the Air Force is ensuring we enable and empower our Airmen and their families to grow across the four CAF pillars--physical, mental, social and spiritual."

Travis submitted requirements in early July and the AMC-level Community Action Information Board funded nearly all of Travis' requirements in early August. Each of the submitted requirements aligned with the four pillars of the CAF architecture. These projects and programs will develop, improve, or sustain well-balanced Airmen and their families, cultivating individuals who are resilient despite the stressors of our Air Force lives and able to thrive in the Air Force's high operations tempo.

These new projects, which are expected to roll out over the coming weeks and months include more than $250,000 for upgrades to the base library; $96,600 in new fitness equipment for the base fitness center; more than $178,000 in programs, supplies and renovations for youth and school age programs; and more than $32,000 for chapel services.

Creation of a Community Center was Travis' number one requirement when the base submitted its CAF request. The goal was to renovate a portion of the Travis Conference Center to make a space for our Airmen and their families to advance the idea of community and improve upon the idea of Travis as "my home town." The CAF funding garnered $75,000 for the Community Center. The Wing paired this with a $30,000 rebate the base recently received for achieving government travel card program status goals. The result is that Team Travis will soon see a robust community center with programs and services to further our social and mental pillars.

"The entire base worked hard to keep their GTCs in good standing," Lt. Col. Christopher Abate, 60th Comptroller Squadron commander, said. "Adding the GTC rebate to our No. 1 CAF requirement truly benefits the entire base populace and provides an excellent opportunity to reward all of our travelers, supervisors, first sergeants and commanders that make our GTC program successful month after month."

The community center is an idea that needed time and money, Colonel Abate said, and with the new financing and our motivated team it will get that and more.

"The center will be a great place for people to come together and thrive on that hometown feeling that resonates here at Travis," he said. "It's one more piece of a solid CAF foundation."

Colonel Jacobson thinks this CAF funding award serves as an exciting transition from the closeout to the Year of the Air Force Family to a sustainable CAF culture that will enable Travis Airmen to maximize their potential.

"This funding demonstrates Air Mobility Command's commitment to its Airmen and their families. It is an investment in our force. It is the continuation of a culture that lets our Airmen know that we care about all elements of their lives--psychological, emotional, and physical. We're committed to helping each other," he said. "CAF provides us a framework to ensure we provide the right programs at the right time to the right group of people to enable Team Travis Airmen to deliver Airpower irrespective of the environment or the obstacles."