Friday, July 3, 2026 l Vol. 51, Number 27
SERVING TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE AND THE MILITARY COMMUNITY OF SOLANO COUNTY
56TH ERQS Page 3
EXERCISE ASTRAL KNIGHT 2026 Page 5
TRAVIS
RED FLAG-ALASKA 26-2 Page 6
TAILWIND A product of Daily Republic
OFFICE
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Airman 1st Class Samir Harris/U.S. Air National Guard file
Tech. Sgt. Justin M. Pendleton, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team chief, conducts a cockpit tour for Airman Phyel Richardson, a public affairs specialist assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing, during the Columbus Air Show at Rickenbacker Air National
Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio, June 19. Richardson sat inside the cockpit of the fifth-generation stealth fighter while Pendleton highlighted the aircraft’s advanced capabilities and instrumentation.
US military marks 85 years of airpower evolution USAFE-AFAFRICA Public Affairs and USAFE-AFAFRICA History Office
Brian Collett/U.S. Air Force file photos
Members of Brig. Gen. Robert Travis’ family stand with Dr. John Treiber, 60th Air Mobility Wing base historian, at the site connected to Travis’ final flight at Travis Air Force Base,
June 26. Brig. Gen. Travis lost his life in a B-29 Superfortress crash at the installation, then known as Fairfield-Suisun Air Force Base, on Aug. 5, 1950.
Honoring the Travis legacy
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — On June 20, 1941, the publication of Army Regulation 95-5 marked a pivotal moment in American military history with the creation of the Army Air Forces. As global tensions escalated and the prospect of U.S. involvement in World War II became increasingly likely, military leaders recognized the need for a more unified and capable air organization. Led by Maj. Gen. Henry “Hap” Arnold, the AAF centralized control of the Army Air Corps and Air Force Combat Command under a single structure. While some leaders still viewed airpower primarily to support ground forces, visionaries such as Army Chief of Staff Gen. George C. Marshall understood that airpower could serve as a decisive force alongside land and naval operations. The creation of the AAF enabled Arnold to establish an Air Staff, synchronize training and modernization efforts, and prepare America’s air forces for the global conflict that lay ahead. See Airpower, Page 5
Dr. John Treiber, right, 60th Air Mobility Wing base historian, greets Jennalie Lyons, granddaughter of Brig. Gen. Robert Travis, outside the 60th Air Mobility Wing headquarters at Travis Air Force Base, June 26. Lyons and her family visited several locations across the installation to learn more about Travis’ legacy and the mission that continues in his name.
Courtesy file photo
Frances Lyons, great-granddaughter of Brig. Gen. Robert Travis, sits inside the flight deck of a C-17 Globemaster III at Travis Air Force Base, June 26. The tour connected Lyons and her family’s personal history with the modern air mobility mission carried forward at Travis today.
Maj. Gen. Henry Arnold, center, reviews documents and plans with air staff members, from left, Lt. Col. Edgar Sorenson, Lt. Col. Harold George, Brig. Gen. Carl Spaatz, Maj. Haywood Hansell, Jr., Brig. Gen. Martin Scanlon and Lt. Col. Arthur Vanaman, in 1941.