Air Force has come a long way in 60 years

  • Published
  • By Col. Steve Arquiette
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  On Sept. 14, Team Travis will celebrate the Air Force's 60th Anniversary with a gala at Hangar 818 boasting special guest, Jay Leno, host of the Tonight Show. There will also be great food and great company from both the military and civilian sector. Today, nearly 60 years after the inception of the Air Force, we have to try hard to find time to relax, decompress and reflect on our many successes. I hope that for those of you who obtained the highly sought after tickets, this will be an enjoyable and memorable experience. This Ball is the largest event ever held at Travis, and while we wish we could accommodate more folks, the logistics of hosting 1,200 people prevents expanding the size.

A lot of preparation went into our Air Force Ball celebration. My hat's off to Lt. Col. Andrew Cole, Maj. Theresa Murphy and the rest of the 60th Anniversary Ball committee. There's no doubt that this will be an outstanding event, and many people across the base and in the local community played a role in making this event a success--thank you so much!

Sixty years later, the Air Force remains a critical component of the Department of Defense. We have a great deal to celebrate next week, but we must also take time to remember the events that stirred our national resolve and launched our military efforts. Next week we will pause to remember the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Though six years have now passed, we remain committed to combating terrorism throughout the world. Without the airpower and the highly professional forces we in the Air Force provide, the nation's objectives could not be accomplished. Our commitment to the War on Terrorism is as strong as ever, and next week's Team Travis retreat ceremony, along with the many remembrance ceremonies organized throughout our nation, will inspire our Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, and DoD civilians, to continue this extremely important drive.

From 1949 to 1950, General Travis helped fuel the success of then Fairfield-Suisun, (now Travis), 9th Heavy Bombardment Wing. Today, as active duty and Reserve Air Mobility Wings and a Contingency Response Wing, Team Travis continues to play a critical role by delivering key support, like the latest generation of armored vehicles to our troops in combat. In a demonstration of our important mobility mission, Travis' Air Bridge of Life and Freedom is transporting Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, which are a suite of armored fighting vehicles designed to survive improvised explosive device attacks and ambushes. These vehicles are enabling the recent successes in Iraq and Afghanistan and are saving lives!

We have come a long way in 60 years, and while our missions have evolved throughout that time, we continue to be a critical force. We are making a big difference, and thus have a lot to celebrate! Continue to keep safety front and center in your personal and professional lives!

BE PROUD! BE SAFE!