Civilian employee to retire after five decades

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Charles V. Rivezzo
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  For more than half a century, Josephine Cobb has perfected her daily routine, making her way through the front gates of Travis. However, April 3 will mark the final day she embarks on her early morning drive as a government service employee.

"It's like I always said, the military raised their hand one way and I rose mine another, but I still served my country for 53 years and I'm proud of every minute of it," Cobb said with a glisten in her eye and warm smile. "It's going to be a sad day for me, because for 51 years I have been coming here. This is my second home, my second family."

As a contracting officer with the 60th Contracting Squadron, Cobb represents a pillar that has helped build the base into the sprawling metropolis it is today. Like the hundreds of Airmen and civilians who have worked with Cobb throughout the years will tell you, she is from the old school way of doing things and her work ethic is unparalleled.

With her husband, Jay Cobb, who served on active-duty for more than 20 years, Josephine Cobb's career began in 1961 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, where she took a job in a temporary position. Yet the test of time proved that what began as a temporary job, would spark into a full-blown career that spanned five decades.

After two years at Eielson, Josephine Cobb arrived at Travis in 1963 and for the next five decades she watched the base change greatly.

"I've just always loved being a part of the big picture at Travis," she said, reminiscing on her past experiences.

She has seen much of the base's history, remembering giving food and rice to refugees from Vietnam and greeting prisoners of war upon their arrival back in America. She remembers when 9/11 happened, and the scramble to prep the base for what lied ahead.

Josephine Cobb said that for years now, it has been the standing joke in the office that each passing year is the one when she will finally retire. But added that you just can't put an expiration date on something you love to do.

"I just kept extending and extending," she said. "But eventually there comes a time when you have to start doing something else, you just have to go. I'm not going to walk away and say yahoo. I haven't reached that plateau yet, I just like what I do and love the people I work with."

Looking toward the future, Josephine Cobb isn't sure what she wants to do after she retires. Although she is certain about one thing, there will be no sitting around the house.

"I'm no couch potato," she said. "I'm a mover and a shaker. I'm a firm believer you should wake up every morning with a purpose."

Despite the fact that April 3 may represent her last day as a government employee, the lasting impression she will leave on Travis will be felt for generations to come.

No situation describes that better than when she was awarded her service pin for 40 years of Civil Service. During her ceremony Maj. Gen. Thomas Kane, Travis' wing commander at the time, made this statement to all his commanders, "Who on this base does not know Mrs. Cobb."

Only one person in the group raised his hand.

Kane's lone comment back to him, "Where have you been."