Travis AFB Hosts Farewell Ceremony After 44 Years of Service

Military members, veterans, and community leaders came together at California’s Travis Air Force Base to honor the KC-10’s 44 years of service. The event, hosted on September 26, decommissioned the aircraft while honoring the extensive achievements of it and its aircrews.

The McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender entered service in 1981. As a variation of the triple-engine DC-10 airliner, the KC-10 acted as a tanker and cargo transport aircraft. It has consistently supported combat, humanitarian, and allied efforts, flying over 1,390 air refueling missions in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and 409 more in NATO’s Operation Allied Force.

"For decades, the KC-10 has taken to the skies to provide in-flight refueling, a vital capability that delivers global reach for America and is the lynchpin to joint power projection,” expressed Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin. “From its initial days in Strategic Air Command through today, the KC-10 has linked the continents and guaranteed our promise of American airpower anytime, anywhere.”

Travis AFB’s 60th Air Mobility Wing was the final operator of the KC-10. This wing is the largest air mobility operation in the US Air Force with a fleet of C-17 Globemasters, C-5M Super Galaxies, and, until now, KC-10 Extenders.

60th AMW commander Col. Jay Johnson gave the opening remarks for the ceremony. The event also featured a video introduction by 349th AMW commander Col. Patrick Brady-Lee, a statement from Air Mobility Command commander Gen. John Lamontagne, and a keynote speech from retired Gen. Paul Selva.?

“The KC-10's legacy is not just about the collection of impressive statistics, but more importantly, it’s about the people, community, and the Airmen who made the aircraft what it is,” Col. Johnson stated. “As the KC-10 takes its last flight, its legacy doesn’t end. With that last touchdown, those lessons will be passed on through friendship, through the knowledge you all have passed down through generations.”

FMI: www.travis.af.mil