California wings claim Solano Trophy
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (USTCNS) --- Fifteenth Air Force has named the 60th Air Mobility Wing as best active duty unit and the 349th Air Mobility Wing as top Reserve unit in the numbered Air Force. For earning top honors, the wings now can claim the Solano Trophy. Both wings are located at Travis Air Force Base in Solano County, Calif.
Rounding out the California Solano Trophy sweep was the 146th Airlift Wing from Channel Islands Air National Guard Station 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
The Travis Regional Armed Forces Committee sponsors the annual award to recognize the most outstanding units within the 15th Air Force. Leaders from seven communities in Solano County comprise the committee. The 15th Air Force has more than 70,000 people assigned and is responsible for half of America's airlift, tanker and aeromedical aircraft.
The winning units received traveling trophies at an awards banquet March 29 at Travis AFB, held during the 15th Air Force Commanders' conference. The permanent trophy is an original glass sculpture valued at more than $13,000. More than 250 community leaders and commanders from six U.S. bases and operating locations around the world attended the banquet.
The 60th AMW is Air Mobility Command's largest wing. The wing flew more than 43,000 hours supporting every major U.S., UN and NATO operation without a significant flight mishap. Wing personnel deployed worldwide for more than 40 contingencies and exercises. They earned the only two "best practices" given by AMC inspectors during the Crisis Reach 00-21 Expeditionary Operational Readiness Inspection. The 60th AMW opened AMC's first lead-free firing range, eliminating lead exposure and increasing training capability by more than half.
The wing scored an Air Force first in hiring civilians to lessen the impact of the shortage of military air traffic controllers.
To improve the quality-of-life, the wing challenged Basic Allowance for Housing reductions, earning a 38 percent increase for Travis military families in 2001. The wing also surpassed AMC and Air Force recruiting and retention averages and is a two-time winner of Air Force Recruiting Command's "We are All Recruiters Award."
The 349th AMW is the largest Air Force associate Reserve training wing. The wing provided strategic airlift and aerial refueling around the globe.
The wing's more than 3,500 men and women participated in every major strategic operation in both hostile and peaceful environments.
The wing's C-5 squadrons flew 300 missions, moving 21,585 passengers and more than 2.2 million tons of cargo, including emergency and relief supplies to Australia to aid peacekeeping efforts in East Timor.
The KC-10 squadrons deployed to Southwest Asia for the third consecutive year to refuel coalition fighters patrolling the no-fly zone over Southern Iraq. The wing airmen also volunteered to help 300 homeless veterans and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The citizen airmen of the 146th AW support the Air Expeditionary Force during the cold winter in the Balkans, supported humanitarian relief to Chile, and participated in a NATO Partnership for Peace exercise in the Ukraine.
Wing C-130s and aircrews fought raging wildfires in California, Washington and Idaho. The wing was prepared to provide emergency services as part of California's Y2K alert.
The wing's "Team Condor" is the largest counterdrug program in the Air National Guard.
The wing and its support units are regularly acknowledged as outstanding during inspections, evaluations and awards programs, especially in communications security and environmental compliance. (FROM AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
Rounding out the California Solano Trophy sweep was the 146th Airlift Wing from Channel Islands Air National Guard Station 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
The Travis Regional Armed Forces Committee sponsors the annual award to recognize the most outstanding units within the 15th Air Force. Leaders from seven communities in Solano County comprise the committee. The 15th Air Force has more than 70,000 people assigned and is responsible for half of America's airlift, tanker and aeromedical aircraft.
The winning units received traveling trophies at an awards banquet March 29 at Travis AFB, held during the 15th Air Force Commanders' conference. The permanent trophy is an original glass sculpture valued at more than $13,000. More than 250 community leaders and commanders from six U.S. bases and operating locations around the world attended the banquet.
The 60th AMW is Air Mobility Command's largest wing. The wing flew more than 43,000 hours supporting every major U.S., UN and NATO operation without a significant flight mishap. Wing personnel deployed worldwide for more than 40 contingencies and exercises. They earned the only two "best practices" given by AMC inspectors during the Crisis Reach 00-21 Expeditionary Operational Readiness Inspection. The 60th AMW opened AMC's first lead-free firing range, eliminating lead exposure and increasing training capability by more than half.
The wing scored an Air Force first in hiring civilians to lessen the impact of the shortage of military air traffic controllers.
To improve the quality-of-life, the wing challenged Basic Allowance for Housing reductions, earning a 38 percent increase for Travis military families in 2001. The wing also surpassed AMC and Air Force recruiting and retention averages and is a two-time winner of Air Force Recruiting Command's "We are All Recruiters Award."
The 349th AMW is the largest Air Force associate Reserve training wing. The wing provided strategic airlift and aerial refueling around the globe.
The wing's more than 3,500 men and women participated in every major strategic operation in both hostile and peaceful environments.
The wing's C-5 squadrons flew 300 missions, moving 21,585 passengers and more than 2.2 million tons of cargo, including emergency and relief supplies to Australia to aid peacekeeping efforts in East Timor.
The KC-10 squadrons deployed to Southwest Asia for the third consecutive year to refuel coalition fighters patrolling the no-fly zone over Southern Iraq. The wing airmen also volunteered to help 300 homeless veterans and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The citizen airmen of the 146th AW support the Air Expeditionary Force during the cold winter in the Balkans, supported humanitarian relief to Chile, and participated in a NATO Partnership for Peace exercise in the Ukraine.
Wing C-130s and aircrews fought raging wildfires in California, Washington and Idaho. The wing was prepared to provide emergency services as part of California's Y2K alert.
The wing's "Team Condor" is the largest counterdrug program in the Air National Guard.
The wing and its support units are regularly acknowledged as outstanding during inspections, evaluations and awards programs, especially in communications security and environmental compliance. (FROM AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
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