DV visits highlight Airmen and base mission

Photo By Louis Briscese | Former airline pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III listens to a briefing before his flight with the United States Air Force Thunderbirds at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., May 4, 2017. Sullenberger is a 1973 Air Force Academy graduate and is best known for successfully landing a crippled airliner in the Hudson River saving the lives of a 155 passengers. (U.S. Air Force photo by Louis Briscese)  

CA, UNITED STATES

12.29.2017

Story by Louis Briscese 

60th Air Mobility Wing

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Throughout my 25 years as a photographer for the United States Air Force, I have documented my fair share of distinguished visitors. While every visit is unique, the opportunity to showcase the installation, Airmen and mission outside the local community can be very advantageous for every base.

Yes, I understand there is a lot of work that goes into every visit. Trust me, I’ve been a part of those clean up and base appearance details myself. I also spent three years running the presidential photo lab under President George H. W. Bush and understand the time and effort that goes into each visit. But there’s a purpose behind each trip and your base leadership is carefully calculating how to make the visit advantageous for everyone.

Leaders recognize the short window of opportunity they have to communicate information that is relevant to the individual who is visiting. They carefully craft these visits around specific itineraries, briefings and social gatherings to emphasize the things they feel are necessary.

I’ve been privy to these types of visits for years and witnessed first-hand the impact they’ve had on the personnel and the mission.

For instance, my current assignment at Travis Air Force Base, California, has seen an influx of distinguished visitors in the last six months. Travis has hosted Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Air Force Gen. Carlton D. Everhart II, Air Mobility Command commander, U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Giovanni Tuck, 18th Air Force commander, congressional delegates and other significant dignitaries.

Visits by regional and national DVs have always been a frequent occurrence at Travis for many reasons. Travis is home to the 60th Air Mobility Wing which is the largest air mobility organization in the AF. The wing plays a critical role in the San Francisco Bay region, controlling more than $11 billion in total resources, including 6,455 acres, 403 buildings and 1,320 military family housing units.

With Travis being situated on the West Coast, and handling more cargo and passengers than any other military air terminal in the U.S. it is a prime destination for any DV visiting the Pacific region.

Hosting so many distinguished visitors is particularly important to Travis because it is one of the preferred locations for the next active-duty-led KC-46A Pegasus.

These trips provide leadership an opportunity to highlight areas of accomplishment and showcase outstanding Airmen to those individuals who can make a difference. Each visit provides Travis a chance to make a lasting impression on those who are seeing it for the first time.

They also allow different units on base to work together to ensure these visits are successful. Organizations such as base operations, protocol and the command post, must work hand-in-hand with one another to ensure the trips go smoothly.

It’s not only the organizations that make the visits a success, more importantly it’s the people. I’ve seen Airmen right out of tech school brief a Major Command command chief and impress her so much she rewarded him with a coin. I’ve witnessed a fresh-faced second lieutenant give a briefing to a senator that was so good, he was asked to brief the next distinguished visitor.

I once observed a general so impressed with a mission brief that he said he would ensure funding for the exact thing they were asking for.
These are the types of examples why DV visits are so important. It didn’t matter if I was overseas, stateside or at a deployed location, visits always seem to provide a sense of urgency for those involved. They seem to bring out the best in everyone.

So next time you hear that there’s a DV arriving, don’t begrudge it, embrace it. Be that next person who’s going to shine and put your organization’s mission or Airmen out front.

• Date Taken: 12.29.2017
• Date Posted: 12.29.2017 15:50
• Story ID: 260841
• Location: CA, US