Travis Air Force Base

Travis Air Force Base, located near Fairfield, California, is a United States Air Force installation under the operational control of Air Mobility Command (AMC). Construction of the base, originally named Fairfield–Suisun Army Air Base, began in 1942. During World War II, its primary mission was ferrying aircraft and supplies to the Pacific Theater. The base was renamed Travis Air Force Base in 1951 in honor of Brigadier General Robert F. Travis, who died in a B-29 crash in 1950.

Travis AFB is known as the "Gateway to the Pacific" and handles a significant volume of military cargo and passenger traffic. As of September 2009, it hosted approximately 7,390 active USAF military personnel, 3,260 Air Force Reserve personnel, and 3,690 civilians. The base's host unit is the 60th Air Mobility Wing, which operates a fleet including C-5 Galaxies, KC-46 Pegasus, and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. The 349th Air Mobility Wing (Air Force Reserve Command) and the 621st Contingency Response Wing are also stationed there. The base supports transient U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury TACAMO aircraft and is home to the David Grant USAF Medical Center, a 265-bed Air Force teaching hospital.

Historically, Travis AFB was a Strategic Air Command (SAC) base from 1949 to 1958, hosting bombers such as the B-29, B-36, and B-52. It transitioned back to airlift operations under the Military Air Transport Service (later Military Airlift Command) and introduced the C-141 Starlifter and C-5 Galaxy. In 1992, with the reorganization of the Air Force, it came under Air Mobility Command. The base received its first KC-46A Pegasus in July 2023, replacing its KC-10 Extender fleet, with the final KC-10 departing in September 2024. The base has been the site of protests by activist groups and was evacuated in 2020 due to the Hennessey Fire. It also hosts the Travis Air Force Base Heritage Center, a museum with a collection of military aircraft.