Friday, August 26, 2022 | Vol. 47, Number 34 S ERVING TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE AND THE MILITARY COMMUNITY OF SOLANO COUNTY Operation Allies Refuge; one year later PAGE 4 Travis assists 515th AMOW, 734th AMS C-5M training PAGE 9 TRAVIS TAILWIND BOOMSTORYONPAGE3Training with the F-22 Raptor: Here comes the
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CONTENTSONTHECOVER
Just know that Air Force clinics have the most recent informa tion and guidance to keep our members safe and healthy.”
Army & Air Force Exchange Service Public Affairs TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE — Travis Air Force Base retirees and military families can keep their smiles bright without having to go off-post, thanks to the opening of a DOCS dental office at the Army & Air Force Exchange Service shop ping60thcenter.Mission Support Group commander Col. Elizabeth Ap tekar joined Travis Exchange General Manager Phonda Bish op, Exchange Main Store Man ager Asia Gilchriest and Ex change Services Business Manager Jeremy McLaughlin in celebrating the grand opening of the dental office Aug. 23.
Courtesy photo Courtesy photo Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus.
Content published in Travis Tailwind is not necessarily the official view of, nor is it endorsed by, the U.S. government, the Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force. The appearance of advertising in the publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or the Daily Republic of the products or services advertised.
3 Cover Story 11 Puzzle
Eligible airmen have access to more monkeypox vaccines
TRAVIS TAILWIND Serving Travis Air Force Base and the surrounding community 1250 Texas St., Fairfield, Calif. 94533 707-425-4646 | Fax 707-425-5924 Publishers: Foy S. McNaughton and T. Burt McNaughton Advertising Director: Louis Codone Distribution: Bob Franks Editor: Glen Faison Copy Editor: Todd R. Hansen Layout : Robinson Kuntz Photo Editor: Robinson Kuntz TRAVIS2 TRAVIS TAILWIND August 26, 2022 Travis community can keep smiles bright with new dental office
n People who have had close or sexual contact in the past 14 days with an individual with monkeypox.
A ribbon is Tuesdaycutat the new DOCS dental office at the Army & Air Force shoppingExchangeService’scenter,atTravis.
In addition to retirees and military dependents, veterans with service-connected disabil ities, Department of Defense ci vilians and retirees and other Common Access Card-holders can also visit the dental office.
“As your immune system responds to the vaccine, you may experience fever, fatigue or headache,” Sayers said. “If you receive the vaccine in the forearm, you may have itching, redness or some skin discolor ation.”While
The standard monkeypox vaccine is a two-dose vaccine administered 28 days apart and is typically injected subcutane ously, in the fatty tissue over the triceps.Airmen and guardians who have previously had the small pox vaccine need only one dose of the monkeypox vaccine. As with many other vaccines, there are some side effects.
DoD has increased its supply and the FDA approved intradermal administration, vaccine distribution continues prioritizing those who are at highest risk, including: n People who have been contacted by their local pub lic health department as having come in contact with someone with monkeypox.
n People who identify as gay, bisexual, transgender or other men who have sex with men in the past 14 days in an area with monkeypox transmission.
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 43d Fighter Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, receives fuel from a KC-10 Extender over the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Aug. 16. Senior Airman Anabel Del Valle/U.S. Air Force
At the time of publica tion, 36 Department of the Air Force clinics have placed or ders. Military Treatment Fa cilities that received shipments this week include those at Tra vis Air Force Base, Yokota Air Base, Misawa Air Base, Robins Air Force Base and Dyess Air ForceThereBase.are currently more than 14,100 U.S. monkeypox cases. While anyone could potentially be at risk, the current outbreak is concentrated among men who have close, intimate contact with other men.
“This current monkeypox outbreak is evolving and we are learning new information about the spread and risks,” Sayers said. “It is important that air men and guardians who feel they might be at high risk speak with their health care provider.
“The convenience of dental services on-post is a tremendous benefit to the Travis communi ty,” Bishop said. “The Exchange is committed to making life bet ter for all who call Travis home.”
The DOCS dental office has four dental chairs and provides general dentistry, orthodontics, periodontics, endodontics and cosmetic services.
Military Treatment Facili ties can order small amounts of Jynneos vaccine to use for indi viduals who meet vaccination criteria. Larger orders can be approved with additional justi fication, such as larger installa tions having a larger population of those who meet the criteria.
The office is at 461 Skymas ter Circle, Bldg. 648 and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. DOCS ac cepts Tricare and most insur ances. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 707-888-0184.
Travis Tailwind is a publication produced by the Daily Republic. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form, in whole or in part, without written permission, is prohibited.
Air Force Surgeon General Public Affairs FALLS CHURCH, Va. —
The Department of Defense is increasing its supply of the ap proved monkeypox vaccine, Jynneos, which allows for more airmen and guardians at higher risk for transmission to access preventive measures to keep themselvesConcurrently,safe. on Aug. 9, the Food and Drug Administration, allowed for smaller doses to be given through intradermal ad ministration, which is an injec tion between the layers of the skin.“By injecting the vaccine just below the skin in the forearm, we can elicit the same an tibody response using a small er dose which increases vaccine availability,” said Lt. Col. David Sayers, Chief, Preventive Med icine, Air Force Medical Read iness Agency. “The goal, as we get access to more vaccines, is to make sure all airmen and guardians at risk can get vacci nated as soon as possible.”
Training with the F-22 Raptor: Here comes the boom from Travis
Senior Airman Anabel Del Valle/U.S. Air Force
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Foster Griffith, 70th Air Refueling Squadron flight engineer assigned to Travis Air Force Base, completes a pre-flight checklist at Eglin AFB, Florida, Aug. 16. Griffith has been in the Air Force for almost seven years, recently making the transition from active duty to Air Force Reserve.
Senior Airman Anabel Del Valle/U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jared Breaux, 70th Aerial Refueling Squadron in-flight refueler assigned to Travis Air Force Base, completes pre-fueling checklists over the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, Aug. 16.
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 43d Fighter Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, receives fuel from a KC-10 Extender over the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Aug. 16.
Griffith has been in the reserves for six months after his recent separation from active duty. Although he’s been in the Air Force for more than six years, he says he never loses the excitement of fulfilling his duties.“Iknow that what I do here is super critical,” Griffith said. “I am the mid dleman controlling the panel and moni toring everything in between. From my heart, my duty this week to help train the world’s best fighter pilots is an honor. They are the best of the best.”
In order for student pilots to success fully graduate the F-22 Raptor basic course, students must demonstrate profi ciency in 380 hours of academic instruc tion, 45 simulated flight missions, day and nighttime air-to-air refueling and more over the course of eight months. Air-to-air refueling is a particularly difficult part of the curriculum because there is minimal light available for the in tricate process of connecting the F-22 to the boom of a KC-10 Extender as the two aircraft fly within close range of each oth er. While the F-22 student pilots are the focus of the mission, it takes a ful ly manned KC-10 aircrew to get the job done. The 70th Air Refueling Squadron is a reserve unit full of airmen who keep the mission going, even if they’re parttime. The circumstances during training allowed for a free flow of communication between the pilots and the tanker’s air crew while also strengthening the rela tionship between Tyndall and Travis Air Force“ThereBase.[are] a lot of different aspects of being a boom operator, from communi cating with the pilots to properly securing our cargo,” said Staff Sgt. Jared Breaux, 70th Air Refueling Squadron in-flight re fueler. “Refueling the student pilots was awesome because we had the opportunity to meet face-to-face after. This allowed us to see their perspective on why they ma neuvered the way they did in flight.” As a full-time reservist, Breaux has been able to refuel many noteworthy missions including air demonstrations from the Navy Blue Angels and the Air Force Thunderbirds, but he says refuel ing for Team Tyndall’s F-22 students is especially“Comingrewarding.fromasmall town in Loui siana and then enlisting in the military, it has broadened my horizons,” Breaux said. “I joined for education benefits but who would’ve thought I get to take part in the training the pilots of one of the most advanced fighter jets on the planet.”
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Senior Airman Anabel Del Valle FIGHTER WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS
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Also fueling the training mission is Staff Sgt. Foster Griffith, a 70th Air Refu eling Squadron flight engineer, who fills a critical position on the KC-10 crew. “My job is to control most of the systems on the aircraft so all the KC-10 pilot has to do is fly,” Griffith said. “If I am not here doing my job, none of the systems on the aircraft would be properly operating, then it becomes a safety issue. One mistake and we risk the aircraft be coming unbalanced and flying at an angle, our hydraulics system could fail, and oth er possible issues.”
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — Tyndall’s mission to train the world’s only F-22 Raptor pilots continued over the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, Aug. 15-18, as student pilots completed nighttime aer ial refueling drills with the 70th Air Re fueling Squadron, assigned to Travis Air Force Base.
Senior Airman Anabel Del Valle/U.S. Air Force
There were 62 total Air Force medics assigned to the medi cal task force at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Of those medics, 29 were from Travis, which was nearly 50% of the total Air Force medical footprint.
TRAVIS4 TRAVIS TAILWIND August 26, 2022 Cellular (707) 71 8-1989 301NancyPriceBransonSellsHomes1@gmail.comDicksonHillRoad,Fairfield,CA94533 Let My Experience, Make Your Home Buying or Selling Experience, Your Best Experience! Each Office is independently Owned and Operated Nancy Price-Branson REALTOR® Cal BRE #01426977 CDPE, SFR, ABR, MRP, SRES PAZDEL CHIROPRACTIC 258www.PazdelChiropractic.comSunsetAve.,Ste.l,SuisunCity58SunsetAve.,Ste.l,SuisunCi 429-4861 Shoulder Pain? Operation Allies Refuge; one year later Nicholas Pilch 60TH AIR MOBILITY WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE — One year ago, the U.S. Air Force performed the larg est noncombatant evacuation op erational in U.S. history, Oper ation Allies Refuge, which saw to the successful evacuation of 124,334 individuals from Af ghanistan.“Welove data. We can roll numbers and metrics into a re port to demonstrate effect,” said Chief Master Sgt. Keith Scott, 60th Air Mobility Wing com mand chief, during an event ear lier this year. “For this operation alone, I could rattle off countless more stats that attempt to cap ture the impact of our Travis air men, but so much of what made this operation incredible was not what we did . . . rather who did it andTherehow.” were 347 total air men, 202 support personnel and 143 aircrew deployed from the 60th Air Mobility Wing at a mo ment’s notice. For some air men, that meant a 45-minute notice. However, these numbers don’t account for how many air men from Travis were already deployed to other locations sup porting this mission.
“I found out Aug. 24. I had just gotten off a night shift, and I went to bed about 7 a.m.,” said Airman 1st Class Thomas Gus tafson, 60th Aerial Port Squad ron fleet apprentice. “I got a call at 10 a.m. asking if I had my Co vid vaccine and my GTC (Gov ernment Travel Card), and I said yes. Approximately 45 minutes later, I was sitting in a briefing, getting ready to leave.” Team Travis deployed eight C-17 Globemaster IIIs, seven KC-10 Extenders and one C-5M Super Galaxy, moving a total of 10,310 refugees and 2 million pounds in airlifted cargo.
“We found out that we would have to go to the Hamid Karzai International Airport Hospital, which is a NATO-run hospital,” said Senior Master Sgt. Louella Campbell, 60th Medical Group and Task Force Medical-Af ghanistan austere ground surgi cal team and administrator. “We were just going to go there for maybe a couple of weeks to help things settle down and potential ly take over, if necessary, until we completely withdrew forces, but we stayed to the end.”
Aircraft were escorted by se curity personnel to ensure safety
Airman Edgar Grimaldo/U.S. Air Force file U.S. citizens and their families process through the passenger terminal at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to board a departure flight on their way to the United States as part of Operations Allies Refuge, Aug. 23, 2021.
See REFUGE Page 16
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The RAF reservists actually han dle entire processes from de ployment beginning to the de ployment endpoint.”
Bufton also expressed the differences he observed between his mission with the RAF and Rooney’s squadron.
See RESERVIST Page 14
349th Public Affairs Staff 349TH AIR MOBILITY WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE — Senior Master Sgt. Rhonda Rooney received notifi cation in October 2021 she was selected as an alternate for the Military Reserve Exchange Program. Rooney didn’t really think it would work out for her. But two months later in December, the 349th Operations Security Squadron first sergeant received an unexpected message. It was a request from the Chief of Air Force Reserve inquiring if she was still interested in becoming a primary candidate.
Courtesy photo Senior Master Sgt. Rhonda F. Rooney
“She is from an unrelated sec tion of the Air Force compared to what I do,” said Bufton. “It was quite interesting to see how the American reservists look after their people compared to how the RAF reserves look after our people.”TheMREP agenda included an airshow within driving dis tance of the base. They toured a variety of international aircraft on “Thisdisplay.was such a great oppor tunity to expand upon the experience and share with our mem bers the commonalities in the different branches of service and how they work best together,” saidWhenRooney.Rooney returned to Travis AFB, it was her turn to be the host for Bufton and take him on tour of the reserve and ac tive duty units on the base. Some stops were the 349th Operations
Travis 349th OSS reservist crosses pond, returns
Royal Air Force Corp. Brian Bufton, second from right, poses for a photo with three airmen at the Global Readiness Deployment Center on Travis Air Force Base, August 2.
TRAVIS6 TRAVIS TAILWIND August 26, 2022
“I was super excited to re ceive an email from the Penta gon asking me if I would like to be a primary candidate and ac tually perform the MREP,” said Rooney. This unique training gives reservists the opportunity to work with reserve forces in Germany, United Kingdom, Denmark, and Estonia.MREP aims to broaden the member’s professional development and knowledge about the host coun try’s reserve program. The member is assigned to the desti nation country when placed on a selection roster. “For me, this is a great op portunity to share with our Air men, the experiences and the exposure of different life skills, and how you learn to create in ternational relationships,” said Rooney.Rooney arrived in England on July 31, 2022, for a two week stay at the English Royal Aux iliary Air Force Brize Norton, England. During her visit, Roy al Air Force Cpl. Graham B. Buf ton served as her MREP na tion partner. Bufton serves as a movement specialist with the 4624th Air Movement Squad ron at RAF Brize Norton. He in troduced Rooney to several base organizations and their primary functions.“This is a wonderful way to learn about the RAF,” said Rooney. “They have a tendency to multitask their career fields.
On her orientation tour, Buf ton took Rooney to a place called “The Hive,” where pre-deploy ment preparations are set up for the“Infamilies.here, the families min gle and talk about problems they have and want to solve. Some of them lack funds for travel or need transportation and there are also marital counselors available for those matters too,” saidRooneyBufton.was impressed with the setups at the base. It was a highlight for her on the tour.
Staff Sgt. Scott Warner/U.S. Air Force
The two reservists shared ideas on operational support, and dis cussed actions they could take to create better outcomes for their respective squadrons.
August 26, 2022 TRAVIS TAILWIND 7
The commissaries’ selfless service begins with 67% of the workforce having a direct con nection to the military as spouses, retirees, family members, guardsmen, reservists or veter ans, Baller “Nowheresaid.else in the world will you find a grocery chain or store that understands first hand, the personal and family sacri fices our service members and families endure throughout their service,” he said. “When you shop the commissary, not only are you getting your groceries at a 23.7% savings, you are also be ing greeted and served by excep tional associates who are com mitted to ensuring you enjoy your well-deserved commissary benefit for the rest of your life –again a commitment you won’t find anywhere else.”
FORT LEE, Va. — Army Sgt. Maj. Matthew Baller recently completed two years as the De fense Commissary Agency’s se nior enlisted adviser for over seas operations as he prepares to retire from military service after more than 31 years. Baller’s retirement is effec tive Jan. 1, 2023. Marine Mas ter Gunnery Sgt. Anthony Polk, former logistics chief for the 3rd Marine Division G-4 at Okinawa, Japan, has been onboard since Aug. 8 as Baller’s replacement at DeCA Europe headquarters on Kapaun Air Station, Kaiserslaut ern,“Sgt.Germany.Maj.Baller did a great job for the Defense Commissary Agency as our uniformed liai son, advising our store opera tions leadership on the concerns of our stakeholders and patrons overseas, while helping us pro mote the benefit to our audience in Europe and the Pacific,” said Michael J. Dowling, deputy di rector and COO. “We thank him for his more than 30 years of military service and wish him the best in his future career.”
See RETIRE Page 15
Dowling presented Baller with the Defense Meritorious Service Medal in a virtual cere mony Aug. 16 during an agency senior staff meeting. As the agency’s senior en listed adviser for overseas op erations, Baller advised the ex ecutive director of the Store Operations Group on service members’ needs related to the commissary benefit. He also served as the agency’s overseas liaison to senior leaders of the armed services supported by the 57 overseas commissaries in De CA’s Europe and Pacific areas. Baller has served as DeCA’s senior enlisted adviser for op erations since July 2020. Before joining the agency, he served as the interim command sergeant major of Regional Health Com mand-Europe, from January to July 2020 in direct support of the response to the Covid-19 pan demic. From April 2017 to Janu ary 2020 he served nearly three years as command sergeant ma jor of the 30th Medical Brigade, Sembach,“ArrivingGermany.toDeCA over two years ago with no prior knowl edge of how our commissar ies operate, I was in complete amazement at the incredible commitment our commissary employees demonstrate each and every day,” Baller said. “Not fazed by the Covid-19 global pandemic, they displayed hero ic-like attributes in delivering a grocery benefit when most places were closed. Like our medical personnel, to me, our commis sary employees were true front line heroes to our military com munities, and I will never forget their personal sacrifices.”
DeCa Corporate Communications
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE8 TRAVIS TAILWIND August 26, 2022
Commissaries’ senior enlisted adviser for overseas operations to retire after over 31 years of service
Debriefing Center during Opera tion Iraqi Freedom. Baller deployed again to Vic tory Base, Iraq, from Septem ber 2009 to September 2010 as the first sergeant for the 550th Area Support Medical Compa ny. While serving as the com mand sergeant major for the 10th Combat Support Hospital in December 2015, he deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, where he served as the command sergeant major for the U.S. Military Hos pital-Kuwait for nine months. After 31 years of military ser vice, Baller said he’ll miss the people, all the lifelong friends he and his family have met in their
Courtesy photo Army Sgt. Maj. Matthew Baller
Baller entered the Army in 1991 and attended basic combat training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and advanced individual train ing at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he graduated as a behav ioral health specialist. He has held a variety of leadership and expertise broadening assign ments in the continental United States and overseas. He deployed in 1999 to Eagle Base, Bosnia, where he served as the detachment sergeant for a Combat Stress Control De tachment in support of Stabi lization Force-6. From Octo ber 2005 to November 2006, he deployed to Abu Ghraib, Iraq, where he served as a member of the Behavioral Science Consultation Team in support of the Joint Interrogation and
36TH WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam — The 734th Air Mobility Squadron facilitated a C-5M Super Galaxy Ground Trainer July 11-20 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The U.S. Air Force C-5M Su per Galaxy arrived July 11 with assigned personnel from the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Tra vis Air Force Base in order for members assigned at Andersen Air Force Base to conduct the training. Since there are no C-5 aircraft permanently as signed to the installation, this training provides a chance for Air Mobility Command airmen assigned to the 734th Air Mobil ity Squadron to train and earn certifications for essential skills needed to execute C-5 missions. For other airmen on Guam, the ground trainer is an oppor tunity to train on skills outside of their traditional Air Force spe cialty code. Training airmen out side of their original career field serves to support agile combat employment in the Indo-Pacific and embrace the multi-capable airmen“Thisconcept.training brings the host wing and tenant units together to utilize an asset where we can perform numerous tasks span ning multiple career fields,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mat thew Boyle, an aircraft main tenance section chief assigned to the 734 Air Mobility Squad ron. “Preparing with a loaned as set provides more realism than would generally be afforded.” Maintainers from the 734 Air Mobility Squadron and sever al units within the 36th Wing, in cluding the 36th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighters and var ious personnel with the 36th Maintenance Group are con ducted training such as aircraft towing, jacking and Air Force specialty code-specific training. A team of instructors from the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing, Joint Base Pearl HarborHickam, Hawaii, led the training.
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Airman 1st Class Emily Saxton/U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 734th Air Mobility Squadron, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, tow a U.S. Air Force C-5M Super Galaxy, July 13, 2022 at Andersen AFB.
1st Class Emily Saxton
Airman 1st Class Emily Saxton/U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 734th Air Mobility specificforcejacking,ontoAirmenHawaii,PearlWing,MobilitytoinstructorsAFB.2022Galaxy,ForcetoBase,AndersenSquadron,AirForceGuam,preparetowaU.S.AirC-5MSuperJuly13,atAndersenAteamofassignedthe515thAirOperationsJointBaseHarbor-Hickam,trainedassignedAndersenAFBaircrafttowing,andairspecialtycodetraining.
Travis assists 515th AMOW, 734th AMS C-5M training
Airman
TRAVISAugust 26, 2022 TRAVIS TAILWIND 9
10 TRAVIS TAILWIND August 26, 2022
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JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKE HURST, N.J. — Maj. Gen. John M. Klein Jr. assumed command of the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center during a change-ofcommand ceremony here Aug. 17, offici ated by Gen. Mike Minihan, Air Mobility Command commander. Klein, a former commander of the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, took command from Maj. Gen. Mark Camerer, outgoing U.S. Air Force Expedi tionary Center commander, who is retiring after 33 years of service. The U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Cen ter is the Air Force’s preeminent authority for expeditionary operations and supports Air Mobility Command’s worldwide mis sion of providing rapid global mobility to America’s armed forces. [caption
Command wings and two stand-alone groups, including the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing, 521st Air Mobility Op erations Wing, 87th Air Base Wing, 621st Contingency Response Wing, 628th Air Base Wing, 43rd Air Mobility Operations Group and 627th Air Base Group.
arycomprisedU.S.Johnalign=”alignleft”id=”attachment_1755515”width=”240”]Maj.Gen.M.KleinJr.[/caption]Withmorethan14,000airmen,theAirForceExpeditionaryCenterisoftheAirForceExpeditionOperationsSchool,fiveAirMobility
“There is no doubt in my mind that the lethality and tempo required to win the next big fight will not only stem from the expertise generated from this Expedition ary Center, it will be the defining factor in our victory,” Minihan said. “The promise Tech. Sgt. Robert Hicks/U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. John Klein accepts command of the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center from Gen. Mike Minihan Aug. 17, on Joint Base McGuire-DixLakehurst, New Jersey.13
on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst,
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of delivery is something relied upon by our nation’s leaders, and I take great comfort in knowing you stand watch ready to proj ect American air power anytime, anywhere.”Nearly14,000 airmen heard Klein during the ceremony ex press how impressed he was of their efforts during Opera tion Allies Refuge and empha size their vital role in the mobil ity mission.
12 Tech.
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“We stand ready to generate air power from the ground up in the form of world-class joint bas ing, expeditionary education and training, contingency response and global humanitarian opera tions whenever and wherever it is needed,” Klein said. Klein returns to the Expe ditionary Center where he was previously the vice commander from August 2019 to July 2020. Klein served as commander of the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base from June 2016 through July 2018. He was the wing’s vice commander from July 2012 through July 2013. C. Page Sgt. Robert Hicks/U.S. Air Force Gen. John Klein delivers his first salute to Airmen of the Expeditionary Center Enterprise after assuming command of the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center Aug. 17, 2022, New
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Staff Sgt. Scott Warner/U.S. Air Force
Royal Air Force Corp. Brian Bufton, a movement technician assigned to the 4624th Air Movements Squadron at Royal Air Force Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, England, receives directions on how to operate a MRZR diesel vehicle at the Global Readiness Deployment Center on Travis Air Force Base, August 2. Bufton experienced the similarities and differences between his job and U.S Air Force’s aerial porter job with Airmen at Travis AFB.
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The HQ Air Reserve Person nel Center suspense/deadline is early January. The RSSB will convene shortly after applications are received. The Enlisted Development Education Board results are held in the spring. Primary and alter nate selectees are notified at the beginning of the fiscal year in October.Forquestions relating to the RSSB process, questions can be addressed by calling the Total Force Service Center (TFSC) at 1-800-525-0102.Forapplication through RSSB and ITA, contact Maj. Paul Hizon, chief of AFR personnel at paul.hizon.2@us.af.mil or Maj. Elizabeth Wszalek, chief of proj ect management at Elizabeth. wszalek.1@us.af.mil
Courtesy photo Corporal Graham B. Bufton
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The 515 Air Mobility Opera tions Wing conducts C-5 ground trainers quarterly at its air mo bility squadrons to ensure that aircraft maintainers have the skills and certifications needed to keep aircraft moving through out the Indo-Pacific region. Aeri al porters, or “Port Dawgs,” also use the events as opportunities to train. The 734 Air Mobility Squadron aerial port is the hub for all cargo movements in and out of Andersen Air Force Base.
“The 734 AMS is crucial to the reception and redeployment of assets through the Indo-Pacif ic AOR,” Boyle said. Members from the 36 Wing, 36 Maintenance Group and the 734 Air Mobility Squadron have teamed up to train and qualify members as multi-capable air men. During this training, air men not specifically assigned to the C-5 received training and fa miliarization of the systems and capabilities of the aircraft.
“This training allows the for ward edge to stay primed and ready for countless situations,” Boyle said.
Airman 1st Class Emily Saxton/U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, train and familiarize Airmen assigned to the 734th Air Mobility Squadron, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on a U.S. Air Force C-5M Super Galaxy, July 13, 2022 at Andersen AFB. Since there are no C-5 aircraft assigned to Andersen AFB, this training provides a chance for Airmen assigned at to train and stay up-to-date on skills that are necessary to complete the mission.
travels around the world. And he feels fortunate that the commis sary agency was his final tour in uniform.“Icouldn’t have asked for a better ending to my military career than that with Team DeCA,” he said. “I’ve learned firsthand the amount of work it takes to get groceries on shelves in austere military locations all over the world. “I am so thankful for our DeCA leaders who continual ly work to improve my grocery benefit,” Baller said. “I’m super excited to see future changes in commissaries around the world as I transition into the next chap ter of my life and enjoy my com missary benefit as a retiree.”
Training From Page 9
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TRAVIS16 TRAVIS TAILWIND August 26, 2022 and Staff Sgt. Riley McFerran, 60th Security Forces Squad ron Phoenix Raven team lead, was on security detail for these movements.McFerran described how his C-17 was 30 minutes away when he was handed a note warning of two young suicide bombers possibly on the flight line. “When the aircraft landed it was pitch black, and only trac er rounds could be seen flying through the air,” McFerran said. “I stood there in complete dark ness with my night vision gog gles on looking for any possible threats when I saw a sea of glow sticks and hundreds of Army personnel walking up to the jet with their rucksacks and all their gear on. As soon as they boarded, we loaded them up, and the reaction and relief on their faces was heartwarming to see. “While we were leaving, the aircraft took fire. We popped off flares, but no rounds hit the air craft, and all of us were able to leave the airfield unscathed,” McFerran said.
“I was talking to one of the moms of one of my kids’ team mates, and she was in Afghani stan visiting her family in July and left right before everything happened,” Sain said. “Her sis ter, also visiting, actually end ed up getting stuck there and was evacuated on a C-17. She eventually made it out and back to the States through the way of our“It’sefforts.like this giant operation that happens, and then it’s over now that it’s not affecting my day-to-day life,” he said. “Ev ery one of those 120,000 people, they’ve got a story, and they’re still living with it.”
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Some people evacuated from Afghanistan were visiting fami ly there and desperately needed a lift out.
Looking at what Team Travis airmen supported, accomplished and sacrificed, there is no doubt that the nation can “TrUSt Tra vis.”“Reflect and remember these airmen and their persistence, endurance, courage, their vic tory,” Scott said. “We talk a lot about ‘answering the nation’s call,’ but this . . . this right here is the exact representation of what our forces are capable of when that call comes in.”
Capt. Kayleigh Migaleddi, 60th Aeromedical Evacuation flight nurse, was en-route to the Abbey Gate on the ground in Ka bul, but was handed a newborn baby that was passed over the fence, which prompted her to head“Aug.elsewhere.26,2021, at 5 p.m., I was tasked by a doctor to re port to the Abbey Gate to assist in a medical emergency,” Mi galeddi said. “On my way to the gate, three Marines handed me a beautiful baby girl that we lat er called ‘Joy.’ I was told that Joy was tossed over the fence in hopes for a better life. “While taking care of Joy, I received an alert saying there was a mass casualty event at the Abbey Gate; the gate I was head ed to before Joy was handed to me. Baby Joy saved my life so I could help the patients who had arrived at the hospital.” Not only were support per sonnel on the ground doing the work, air crews were mov ing people out of Kabul as fast as they could. Capt. Marcial St. John, 21st Airlift Squadron C-17 pilot, talked about the diffi culties of getting refugees to various bases in theater, and how they moved the first aircraft full of Afghan nationals to Isa Air Base, Bahrain. Lt. Col. Gary Sain, 9th Air Re fueling Squadron KC-10 Extend er pilot, and Capt. Marcelli Mag day, 660th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron maintenance officer in charge, were expecting an aerial refueling mission, but the KC10s were reconfigured for pas senger movement instead. “This is part of history. This doesn’t happen every day,” Mag day said. “For me, the most re warding part was meeting them at the bottom of the stairs and seeing the looks on their fac es thinking ‘Wow, this is what I joined the Air Force for.’ ”
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