'80s a time of construction for Travis

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Christopher J. Thompson
  • 660th Aircraft Maintenance Squadorn
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  By the 1980s Travis had seen over four decades of service to the nation. While the previous decade saw an "aircraft revolution" on base, the 1980s would see only improved models of existing aircraft. This decade would see a "construction revolution."

The building frenzy began in April 1984 with the construction of a new $7.1 million commissary close to the main gate. The old commissary, building 80, was given to the new Travis Air Museum, which has now grown quite large and indeed demands new foundations. In 1988 the base added a new $1.5M Child Development Center and a new $15 million Fitness Center. Unarguably the largest, most ambitious project on base, however, was the new David Grant USAF Medical Center.

The modern DGMC was approved for construction in 1983 by Congress at a price tag of $206.2 million. The hospital was sorely needed throughout the years and well deserved. Travis has a distinct history of air medevac and urgent care needs. In addition, more than 100,000 active duty and retiree families from the local area needed care. DGMC officially opened Oct. 21, 1988 with a staggering square footage of over 800,000. The "construction revolution" decade was capped off by renovations to the NCO club, the new Consolidated Mission Support Center, the Galaxy dining hall and the dormitories.

Although aircraft changes on base were not as bold as the real estate changes, improvements were made. Both the C-141A and C-5A were improved and given "B" designations. On April 11, 1980 the first C-141B landed at Travis. The "B" model gained air refueling improvements in cargo-carrying capacity. In fact, it could now hold three additional pallets and, because of the air refueling receptacle, fly indefinitely. The first "B" model C-5 arrived at Travis July 29, 1986. The "B" designation brought better avionics, improved landing gear, newly designed wings and fresh engines to the Galaxy. Both the C-141 and C-5 aircraft were also now being painted in the forest camouflage pattern. These aircraft saw constant service throughout the globe.

In 1985 a formation of C-141s and C-5s from the 60th Air Mobility Wing supported President Reagan's trip to Beijing, China. Between Sept. 8 through 18, 1987 aircraft from Travis aided Pope John Paul's American visit by ferrying Catholic envoys and the famous "Pope mobile." In 1988 Travis aircraft began flying Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty missions, via Japan, into the Soviet Union. Inversely, Soviet IL-62 aircraft began arriving at Travis in accord with the 1987 signed treaty. The 60th Military Airlift Wing also flew humanitarian missions to Mexico in 1985 for the Mexico City earthquake and to Valdez, Alaska in 1989 to rush oil containment equipment in support of the cleanup of the Exxon Valdez disaster.

Airpower is not only used for peaceful humanitarian missions. Such was the case in July 1983 when the United States and France flew military support missions into Chad, when they were attacked by their northern neighbor, Libya. The 60th AMW flew transport missions into Dakar, Senegal and around the African region.

When on Oct. 14, 1983 the Grenadian government was overthrown by a Soviet-Cuban induced coup, the United States responded. Both C-5s and C-141s from Travis assisted in Operation Urgent Fury by transporting troops and supplies into the Caribbean.

Again, in 1987, when a Kuwaiti oil tanker was hit by an Iranian mine in the international corridor of the Persian Gulf, Travis aircraft took part in Operation Ernest Will, the mine sweeping of the Gulf, which resulted in the sinking and destroying of several Iranian naval vessels and oil rigs.

Lastly, in 1988 60th AMW aircraft helped support Operations Nimrod Dancer and Just Cause in Panama after their president, Gen. Manuel Noriega, was indicted by U.S. federal grand juries. The operations ceased on Jan. 3, 1990 when Noriega was arrested and extradited.

All-in-all the Travis in the 1980s saw more of the same, but with certain unique changes and improvements. The base was looking more and more of what it looks like today.