Leaders to honor Travis AFB air personnel

Leaders to honor Travis air personnel

By Reporter Staff


Civic leaders will gather in Fairfield May 31 to honor the men and women who make Travis Air Force Base one of the premier airlift bases in the United States.

The event, a second annual community tribute to the base, will feature U.S. Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Solano, as keynote speaker. Tauscher has been one of the most outspoken advocates in Washington D.C. for the local air base.

Two hundred people are scheduled to attend the ceremony coordinated by the Travis Community Consortium, which includes all seven cities in Solano County as well as county government.

The tribute is an invitation-only event planned for businesses and other members of the consortium. It is to be held at the Fairfield Community Center.
"This is the community wanting to honor (the men and women at the base) for the personal sacrifices that they make everyday," said Sheree McDonald, military liaison for the Travis Community Consortium, who recently finished r military career at Travis.
The three wings at the base, its expeditionary task force, army and navy elements stationed at the base all will be individually recognized at the ceremony. One of the wings honored will be the reserve wing.

The base has been busy quietly continuing to move personnel and materiel to the ongoing war in Iraq. The base was also elemental in the effort in Afghanistan.

The biggest most recent news at the base, however, came last week with the announcement of a military base closure list. The base, to the joy of local leaders, was not included on the list.