Travis shows veterans appreciation

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. James Hodgman
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – More than 100 retired military members and their families attended the 21st annual Retiree Appreciation Day event at Travis Air Force Base, California Oct. 15.

The event featured performances from the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West, presentations from nearly 40 organizations, military working dog demonstrations and aircraft tours.

Col. Michael Higgins, 60th Medical Group commander, kicked the event off with a message of thanks. 

“We are here to recognize you and say thank you to you and your families for the service you gave to our country while you were in uniform, and for the continued investments you give to our base, communities and to our team,” Higgins said.

Veterans have a significant impact on the global mobility mission, Higgins added.  

“I want you to understand that the leadership team at Travis recognizes what you contribute to our mission,” Higgins said. “Many of you are employees on the base, whether that’s in the operations group, medical group, maintenance group or mission support group. You are our trainers, mentors and experts and you raise us up.”

Military veterans serve in a variety of positions at Travis and several of them volunteer in some capacity on a regular basis. According to the Travis Retiree Activities Office, 132 veterans contributed more than 34,000 hours volunteering across Travis and in the local community in 2015.

“We appreciate you,” Higgins said. “Travis can’t survive without you, you ground us in our heritage and for that I give you my humble thanks.”

During the five-hour event retired service members met with representatives from 35 organizations and received a series of briefings including presentations from Solano Veterans Affairs, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, TRICARE and the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery.

Retired U.S. Army Capt. Patricia Fly, from Imperial, California, said the best part of RAD was getting accurate information about topics affecting the retiree community.

“Having a place where everything is concentrated in one location where we can get current information is really the best part,” she said. “Today I learned about the USAF David Grant Medical Center’s Women’s Health Clinic and the services they provide. I didn’t even know that clinic existed.”

Fly also said she’s thankful for today’s active-duty force.

“Our active-duty folks, they’re carrying our military forward and I’m thankful for that,” she said.

Retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. David Brodsky, attended the event with his wife, Chari and shares Fly’s sentiments.

“Getting updated information about medical care, resources available to us and learning about everything has been fascinating,” Brodsky said.

“Plus, Travis Airmen always make us feel welcome,” he added. “They are always helpful and make us feel like we are still part of the service. I am proud to say I served my country and honored to be a retiree after 20 years of service. Just because we are retired, doesn’t mean we’re not still part of the Air Force. You may retire, but you never leave the blue.”

The Norristown, Pennsylvania native joined dozens of former service members in the day’s events and said he enjoyed touring the C-17 Globemaster III, KC-10 Extender and C-5M Super Galaxy.

Over 100 volunteers from nearly every organization at Travis supported the event, which took eight months to plan, said Capt. Keith Burton, 60th Force Support Squadron military personnel flight commander and one of two RAD committee chairpersons.

“I’m very proud of our team,” Burton said. “Airmen were ready and willing to do anything that was asked without hesitation.”

That commitment led to a successful event, Burton added.

“The purpose of Retiree Appreciation Day was to show our retirees that we appreciate them and interact with them,” Burton said. “I’m honored that we were able to show our respect for all those who have served in the armed forces. This event was an excellent opportunity for our base to show them we care.”