Team Travis: "Veni, vidi, vici"

  • Published
  • By Col. Steve Arquiette
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  "Veni, vidi, vici."

We came, we saw, we conquered.

These words spoken by the great Roman emperor Julius Caesar are what kept running through my head Monday morning during the out brief. Team Travis, I am truly honored and humbled to lead a team that has shown me time and time again what champions truly are. As if coming home with 17 of the 34 trophies from this year's [Air Mobility Command's Expeditionary] Rodeo wasn't enough, our team managed to demonstrate our mettle again by the "Outstanding" rating in last week's Operational Readiness Inspection; only the second such rating given by the Air Mobility Command's Inspector General in five years for this mission.

To quote the lead inspector, Brig. Gen. Don Lustig, AMC/IG, "Thank you for your hard work. I will be very proud to report to General Lichte that [Travis] is very capable of doing this mission. I am absolutely proud to serve with this professional team of active duty, guard and Reserves." General Lustig's team was thoroughly impressed as was I. Your hard work and training gave our base the ability to go into this ORI with not just the skill and determination of a playoff team, but that of Super Bowl team contenders!

My hats off to all of the people who came together to make this happen! Bringing in a new mission to any base is a colossal undertaking, and we have proven ourselves once again!

However, don't kick your feet up just yet. The 615th Contingency Response Wing's first-ever ORI is less than two weeks away. Their tremendous support helped pave the way for our "Outstanding" rating, so let's demonstrate the high caliber of Team Travis one more time and work to pull out another "Outstanding" for the team! I have every confidence this is the team to do it!

What a great parting gift you all gave me prior to me departing for the next few months as the Deputy Director of Mobility Forces for Southwest Asia. I leave knowing this wing is in the best shape it has ever been in, and I am proud of each and every one of you that dedicate your blood, sweat and tears to make that happen.

As I go, I challenge each and every one of you to help me adopt a new rally cry. We are lucky to have the golden bear of California on the tails of our aircraft. To me the golden bear represents the strength and pride of Team Travis, while its overall size represents Travis being the largest wing in AMC. In short, "Big, Proud and Strong." When I return in four months I hope to hear this echoing off the buildings around our "Outstanding" base! Big, Proud and Strong!

Thank you again for all you do! See you in four months!

BE PROUD! BE SAFE!