Subscribe
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – An estimated 70,000 people will see the rapid global mobility mission up close during the Thunder Over the Bay Air Show at Travis Air Force Base March 30–31.
Air show attendees will have the opportunity to watch aerial performances, tour all three aircraft assigned to Travis, interact with Airmen and learn about the mobility mission.
Senior Airman Edgardo Acosta Ponce de Leon, 60th Aerial Port Squadron air transportation cargo processing specialist from Lajas, Puerto Rico, said he’s excited to share what he does with the public.
“At Travis we ship almost everything all over the world and I’m looking forward to sharing that with people during the air show,” said Acosta Ponce de Leon. “Our aerial port is one of the busiest in the Air Force. We have the capability to ship household goods for service members, Navy equipment to ships at sea, medical supplies to those in need and hazardous materials. We can even put an airplane inside another airplane.”
The 60th APS is responsible for ensuring all cargo is inspected and safely loaded and off-loaded onto and off of aircraft. The unit works 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure Travis can project American power, anytime, anywhere.
In 2018, the 60th APS moved more than 48,000 tons of cargo and supported more than 3,500 missions. Acosta Ponce de Leon said he is proud to be a part of that.
“If something happens, a war or a humanitarian crisis breaks out, we will likely be the ones who provide critically needed supplies and equipment to people in need,” he said. “That’s why our job is so important. If we don’t do our job, people could suffer because nobody else has the capability to do what we do.”
Travis Airmen have supported combat operations and numerous humanitarian relief efforts throughout its history.
In June 1991, Travis helped evacuate more than 20,000 people from Clark Air Base in the Philippines after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo. Nearly two decades later, in March 2011, Travis provided logistical and refueling support for Operation Tomodachi, the disaster relief effort in Japan after a massive tsunami devastated parts of the island nation. In September 2017, Travis Airmen delivered medical supplies and recovery teams to Mexico City after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Mexico.
“You name it, when it comes to mobility, we can do it,” said Acosta Ponce de Leon. “That’s what people will see during the air show.”
Senior Airman Andrew Yost, 60th Maintenance Squadron aero repair team member, said he is looking forward to sharing the mobility mission with the public.
“During the air show, people will be able to see the C-17 Globemaster III, the KC-10 Extender and the C-5M Super Galaxy, and we ensure all of those aircraft can fly,” he said. “We do in- depth maintenance on the jets whenever it’s needed to ensure they’re mission ready.”
In-depth maintenance may include removing and replacing flaps or even replacing landing gear, which is something Yost said he recently did on a C-5M.
“I was part of a team of Airmen who responded to recover a C-5M that landed with the nose landing gear up,” he said. “We used giant air bags to lift the aircraft so we could tow it to one of our hangars and work on it. We had to change out the entire nose landing gear.”
This in-depth maintenance helps ensure Travis aircraft can meet mission requirements, added Yost, a native of Lakeside, California.
“We perform some kind of maintenance or inspect something every day of the year,” he said. “I’m proud to be able to showcase the aircraft that we take care of. Because of what we do, our aircraft can fly and take care of our fellow service members at deployed locations or provide aid to those in need. We are a sign of hope for people and it’s pretty satisfying to know that because of what we do, they can always rely on us.”
The Thunder Over the Bay Air Show will feature more than a dozen aerial performances, including the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, static displays and much more.
For more information about the event, visit https://www.travis.af.mil/TravisAirShow/.
| Date Taken: | 03.12.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 03.12.2019 15:45 |
| Story ID: | 313981 |
| Location: | TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 70 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Travis Airmen ready to showcase mobility mission, by TSgt James Hodgman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
LEAVE A COMMENT