Friday, January 2, 2026 l Vol. 51, Number 1
SERVING TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE AND THE MILITARY COMMUNITY OF SOLANO COUNTY
SPACE FORCES JAPAN Page 3
48TH FIGHTER WING Page 4
137TH AIR REFUELING WING Page 6
TAILWIND
TRAVIS
A product of Daily Republic
MAINTENANCE
INSPECTION
Airman 1st Class Austin Mooneyham/U.S. Air Force file (2025)
A B-1B Lancer assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing rests as maintenance inspections begin at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., Dec. 3, 2025. Critical to the Air Force’s mission, the
B-1B is a pillar of air supremacy, serving as both a global precision strike asset and a symbol of American airpower.
Fiscal Year 2025 sees best recruiting numbers in 15 years Matthew Olay PENTAGON NEWS
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In fiscal year 2025, the military’s recruiting efforts returned to levels not seen in more than a decade. “Since November 2024, our military has seen its highest recruiting percentage of mission achieved in more than 15 years,” stated Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell. This fiscal year, all active-duty services made mission. Most reserve components also met their mission goals, with the exception of the Army Reserve, which met 75% of its goal. How the active-duty components of each branch met their goals breaks down as follows: n The Army had a goal of 61,000 recruits and attained 62,050, totaling 101.72% of its goal. n The Navy had a goal of 40,600 recruits and Travis Jones/Department of Defense file photos (2025)
Army medics assigned to units across Europe participate in the 2025 Europe Best Medic Competition at multiple military installations in and around Landstuhl, Germany, December 2025. The four-day competition places teams in realistic, high-stress scenarios designed to evaluate
See Recruiting, Page 3
physical endurance, medical expertise and battlefield decision-making. Medics navigate day and night land navigation courses, complete foot marches and physical fitness events, qualify with assigned weapons and execute combat casualty care and prolonged field care lanes.
Europe Best Medic competition
Lance Cpl. Jaden Beardsley/U.S. Marine Corps file (2025)
An Army medic undergoes a stress shoot challenge during the 2025 Europe Best Medic Competition in the area of Landstuhl, Germany, December 2025.
An Army medic competes in combat water survival training during the 2025 Europe Best Medic Competition in the area of Landstuhl, Germany, December 2025.
Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Michael T. Solorzano, a drill instructor with Alpha Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, corrects recruits during a drill aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., Dec. 15, 2025.