AMC commander tours Travis

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Raymond Hoy
  • 60th AMW Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The Air Mobility Command commander concluded his two-day visit of Travis May 12. 

Gen. Duncan J. McNabb and his wife, Linda, accompanied by the new AMC command chief, Chief Master Sgt. Joseph Barron, arrived May 11 and visited various facilities on base, including David Grant USAF Medical Center, radar approach control, 60th Aerial Port Squadron and the 615th Contingency Response Wing. 

“We wanted to come out to AMC’s largest wing and see how Team Travis does business,” General McNabb said. “But most of all, I wanted to come to say ‘thank you’ to Team Travis, to all of the Airmen and members of the local community that work hard to make AMC better.” 

General McNabb observed the way Travis does business and was looking for signs of the Smart Ops 21 program, which was conceived in order to promote individuals and groups to come up with better and faster ways of completing tasks. 

“It’s the people that are down on the line who are going to figure out how we can do things better and it’s obviously caught a hold of Travis in a really big way; it’s outstanding to see that,” he said. 

The general talked about the positive effects of AMC on the Global War on Terrorism and emphasized Travis’ impact on operations. 

“When you think about global reach and what it does for our country, it is a tremendous ability,” the general explained. “No other nation in the world has the strategic capability we do, and that’s our airlift and aerial refueling capabilities. When you look at Travis and its C-5s and KC-10s, you see how the base has made the global reach for America even more productive.” 

General McNabb was very impressed by the total capability of the base; not just the 60th AMW, but all of the partner units within its gates. 

“When you take into account the operational capabilities of the 60th Air Mobility Wing coupled with the 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force, the 615th CRW and DGMC’s medical operations, the base is really a springboard for the entire Pacific region,” he said. 

The general went on to comment about the increasing abilities to our flying missions with the addition of the new C-17 flying and maintenance squadrons. He also noted the expected increase in ops tempo with the addition of the aircraft. 

“The C-17 typically has the highest ops tempo in the Air Force,” General McNabb explained. “Not only does it have the airlift abilities, but it also has the ability to fly into areas where once only the C-130 could. That tactical theater approach is something that will be new to the base.

“So now you’ll have the C-5, KC-10 and the C-17; what’s not to like about Travis,” he added. 

While here, the general was able to stop by the 615th CRW and check on their growth and progress over the last year. He was awed by their abilities and expressed how important they are to the overall AMC mission. 

“Their ability to not only fill in our infrastructure at a moment’s notice, but also to open up airfields is something that myself and the DoD leadership depend on,” he explained. 

General McNabb was able to leave Travis with a clearer understanding of what the base brings to the table on a global scale. He was overwhelmed by Team Travis’ professionalism and the synergies between the different organizations on and off base that help it accomplish so much. 

“It was a great opportunity for us to look the young Airmen in the eye and say thank you,” General McNabb said. “To see how excited they are and the passion they have for what they are doing for our country was just outstanding.”