Travis looks back five years to Operation Tomodachi Published March 11, 2016 By Senior Airman Amber Carter 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Five years ago today - March 11, 2011 - an earthquake off the northern coast of Japan, near the Tohoku region, caused a tsunami that devastated the country. More than 28,000 people were killed or left missing and it caused billions of dollars in infrastructure damage. The 9.0 magnitude earthquake was determined by the United States Geologic Survey as the fourth largest in the world since 1900 and the largest in Japan in the last 130 years. Every branch of the United States military stood at the ready to send support. Dubbed Operation Tomodachi - Operation Friends in English - the Air Force contributed with multiple deployments of aircraft carrying supplies, personnel, equipment and cargo. Alongside other bases, Travis Air Force Base, California, came together as a team and played a significant role, serving as the launching pad and gateway to the Pacific theater. Showcasing responsiveness and rapid global mobility, U.S. forces brought relief and hope to those affected, a feat Eric Alber remembers clearly. "As the operations superintendent, I was responsible for the coordination of various support functions with the assistance of great experts from various career fields to include aerial porters, load masters, supply personnel and security forces," said Alber, the former 573rd Global Support Squadron superintendent of wing readiness. "All these functions came together to ensure all personnel and equipment were poised to deploy and support the devastating effects of this horrendous earthquake and tsunami. You always practice to get it done in a timeline but when it's real it is amazing to see how people come together." Providing disaster relief and humanitarian aid, the 60th Air Mobility Wing contributed C-17 Globemaster IIIs which transported cargo and personnel to Japan and KC-10 Extenders that performed aerial refueling over the Pacific Ocean. "I felt for the people of Japan and the devastation they were experiencing," Alber said. "It showed that life is precious and in a blink of an eye your world can turn upside down. "I was proud of the team of professionals I was fortunate to work with. No matter what career field you belonged to in the CRW, everyone understood the magnitude of what happened and meshed perfectly to ensure everything was accomplished," he continued. With the damage and devastation of the area, evacuation efforts were spearheaded by Travis Air Force Base, serving as the hub to evacuate family members stateside and away from the wreckage. According to the Air Force Historical Support Division, Travis was the only military base to serve as a port of entry for Operation Pacific Passage, providing safe transportation to the states for more than 9,000 family members from Japan. "I was in command of the 615th Contingency Response Wing at the time and the wing participated heavily in the response deploying many of our Air Mobility Operations Squadron personnel and others to support the response efforts," said Gary Gottschall, 60th Operations Group deputy commander and retired colonel and commander of the 615th CRW. "Additionally, our leadership team and many wing personnel directly supported the 60th AMW efforts to handle all the evacuees who came through Travis on their way back into the states." Upon arrival, passengers received assistance from Travis officials with lodging, transportation, follow-on travel arrangements and other personal needs. Medical staff from David Grant USAF Medical Center and Naval Air Station Lemoore assisted during the processing stages of the arrivals offering medical care when needed. In total, more than 1,000 volunteers assisted throughout the week with childcare, luggage and pet care to ease the strain on passengers. According to AFHSD, in the first two weeks of Operation Tomodachi, the Air Force had flown 225 missions and transported 4.2 million pounds of cargo and approximately 2,800 people. Overall, Operation Tomodachi highlighted the importance of stationing military forces abroad, which allowed for such a rapid response. "The disaster relief and humanitarian aid provided by Travis Airmen and the joint effort brought renewed recognition of the Japan-U.S. alliance as the bedrock of the long-fostered friendship between our two nations," said Col. Corwin Pauly, 60th Air Mobility Wing vice commander. "Those who participated in Operation Tomodachi began as close friends and finished as brothers and sisters. I'm proud of the Travis contributions to assist the great nation of Japan during its time of need."