It ain’t about the planes; it’s about the people Published Jan. 18, 2011 By Chief Master Sgt. Daniel Fischer 60th Air Mobility Wing command chief TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE,Calif. -- Orient yourself towards the flightline from nearly any location on Travis and what do you see? Iron. At any given time, our ramp contains an unrivaled combination of C-5 Galaxys, KC-10 Extenders, and C-17 Globemaster IIIs accompanied by an assortment of partner unit aircraft and transient commercial cargo aircraft. Yes, around the clock--24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year--our ramp contains an impressive display of airpower. Tilt your ear skyward and what do you hear? The distinctive sound of engineers running. Or an aircraft taxiing for takeoff. Or a post-mission aircraft being driven to a parking spot. Or an aircraft or two or three in the pattern overhead. After all, iron in the air is what we do. But take a closer look. Swarming the ramp around the clock--24/7, 365 days a year--in a carefully choreographed movement of oddly shaped and sized vehicles with support from back shops, control centers, offices, and David Grant USAF Medical Center ... are people. Yes, armed with a challenging mission set at Travis, the planes are important; but it's the people -- active duty, reserve, officer, enlisted, civilian, contractors and volunteers from three wings, one task force and more than 50 partner organizations -- that are most impressive. Across this base, around the clock--24/7, 365 days a year -- excellence abounds. Need proof? The seamless, multi-wing operational readiness inspection and unit compliance inspection preparation teams, the maintainers we just sent to Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; the structures and utilities craftsmen working across our base -- indoors and outdoors, the medical lifesavers in the cardio-vascular operating room, our award-winning passenger terminal crew, our aircrew flight equipment geniuses, the no-fail aeromedical staging flight team, the personnel deployment and cargo deployment processing heroes, our contract guard force, aircrew upon aircrew upon aircrew simultaneously supporting multiple combatant commanders and national command authorities, the transformational consolidated tool kit elements; the mighty medical control center; and the heartwarming sounds of our musical ambassadors. Need more proof? How about our tremendous corps of civilian employees solidly embedded in the mission across Travis; every maintenance recovery team we send out the door; the amazing Airman and Family Readiness gang; the 615th Contingency Response Wing warriors who opened airfields in Afghanistan and the Dominican Republic; the fabrication flight wizards; the eclectic array of unit deployment managers and wing deployment specialists who continue to posture, prepare, and push incredible warriors to the battlefield; our cancer fighters performing medical miracles and the wonderful Fisher House staff and volunteers. What does this cross section of excellence have in common? Talented, enthusiastic people willing to join ranks and capitalize on the synergy and goodness that results from engaging in healthy relationships. They respect each other. They make time to know one another. They have fun. They talk. They listen. They laugh. They argue. They disagree. They resolve differences. They teach. They learn. They share. They deploy. They endure hardships. They challenge each other. They help each other fight demons, wrestle with adversity and overcome struggles. They form bonds of resilience. They pool their energy and talents to collectively achieve more than each could individually. They work smart and play smart -- together. They are committed to delivering their best effort every day. Yes, iron in the air is what we do. But the way I see it, it ain't about the planes; it's about the people.