860th AMXS nears 10-year anniversary

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Shane Wehunt
  • 860th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – This summer, we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the C-17 Globemaster III at Travis Air Force Base, California. 

On Aug. 2, 2006, the Fairfield-Suisun-Vacaville community received the first of 13 C-17s with the arrival of tail no. 66154.  It would take two years and three months to receive our full complement of aircraft with the delivery of tail no. 77179 on November 5, 2008. 

Many changes took place on our ramp and in the skies above our community in that time.  The C-17 presence continued to grow while the C-141B Starlifter fleet thinned as it entered retirement across the Air Force. The initial cadre of 860th AMXS personnel consisted of expertise pulled from other weapons systems on Travis at the time, such as the C-141B, and C-5B, as well as maintainers who arrived from established C-17 bases across Air Mobility Command.

One by one, our maintainers not only learned the particulars of the Globemaster III, they mastered the nuances of each tail number.   In the time since that transitional phase, the 860th AMXS has evolved and matured into a world-class C-17 maintenance unit providing the very best in airlift capability to one active duty operational flying unit, the 21st Airlift Squadron, and one reserve operational flying unit, the 301st Airlift Squadron. 

With the support of our reserve brothers and sisters in the 945th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the ever-present capability the 60th Maintenance Squadron provides, the 860th AMXS has consistently led the way in innovation and command maintenance metrics across the C-17 fleet during the past several years.

This success is not simply the result of newer aircraft or a smaller C-17 fleet in comparison to other C-17 capable bases.  It is the result of exceptional Airmen, active duty, civilian and reservists, working in concert with organizations and entities across the command and around the globe. 

Airmen dedicated to their unit’s overall mission of providing combat-ready maintenance personnel and organizational support to the inspection, servicing and repair of these 13 aircraft.  Their efforts allow our ops partners to safely and effectively execute rapid global combat mobility, aeromedical evacuation, humanitarian relief and contingency response airlift anytime, anywhere.

At this moment, there are Travis C-17s, maintained by America’s best, in the skies and on aircraft ramps around the globe executing a mission that no other country on the planet can boast.  The availability and reliability of these aircraft continue to influence world matters and the key to their success is the superior maintenance performed right here at Travis.

From the energy, patriotism and clarity of vision, our youngest Airmen possess to the continuity, experience and stability our civilians provide, the leadership, mentorship and professionalism our more-ranking Airmen have to offer all the way to the expertise, stability and surge capability our reserve partners offer, the 860th AMXS has much to be proud of as we build on a legacy of excellence in all we do. 

Happy Anniversary 8-6-0. I am humbled to command such an amazing group of professionals as we lead the way into tomorrow’s Air Force.