Travis AFB turns 75
August 02 2018On the first runway built at Travis Air Force Base in 1942, United States Navy pilots landed on a painted outline of an aircraft carrier deck. Local winds helped the newly-hired pilots feel conditions like those in the Pacific Ocean.
Many years later, an unlikely partnership was born between two organizations that share the value of protecting local land.
“Travis AFB is a key partner of Solano Land Trust in protecting land around the base for working farms and natural areas,” said Nicole Braddock, Solano Land Trust’s executive director. Thanks to this partnership, a local ranching family and donors like you, 150 acres of important habitat and ranchland is on the road to being protected forever.
Protecting land around the base is a priority for Travis to ensure that it can continue its mission and adapt to the changing needs of the community and the nation.
The base serves as an essential Air Transport Command and Rapid Global Response team. As a humanitarian base, it sends supplies of needed disaster relief all over the world. “We engage globally and serve locally,” said staff sergeant Amber Carter. The cops, firefighters, and medical personnel on base work alongside local city police, firefighters, and those in the medical field.
“Travis AFB is often referred to as ‘America's First Choice’ for good reason – it’s a lynch pin of global power and global reach,” says Sandy Person with the Solano Economic Development Corporation. “Travis is an economic powerhouse that generates an incredible $1.69 billion annual economic impact to our region, although it’s really all about the people and the enrichment they bring. Team Travis is an incredible mix of highly qualified and dedicated airmen who show immense pride and passion for what they do.”
This year marks the 75th Anniversary of Travis AFB, which has come a long way since its official opening in 1943. Today, Travis is the largest employer in Solano County, with 26,000 active duty, reservists and civilian employees.
Thank you for your support to build partnerships like these that benefit our entire community. We are all in this together.