Last Operation Pacific Passage mission arrives at Travis

Published March 29, 2011
By Tech. Sgt. Renni Thornton
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE,Calif. -- The last flight transporting military family members who voluntarily departed Japan as part of Operation Pacific Passage arrived March 28 at Travis Air Force Base.

One hundred fifteen passengers were greeted by Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps members along with hundreds of volunteers who offered assistance to the families and pets.

Since March 22, the joint team at Travis AFB formed a Joint Reception Coordination Center and subsequently processed 2,600 men, women and children and 150 family pets as they arrived the base aboard 11 chartered military flights.

Team Travis members worked side by side with joint forces creating a seamless process for the past seven days to provide administrative, financial, and medical assistance to thousands of military family members and their pets as they arrived from Japan following a 9.0 earthquake that rocked parts of Japan March 11.

The passengers were comprised mainly of dependant family members although a handful were active duty members accompanying their family members to home locations.

Travis was one of three U.S. arrival locations for the voluntary-assisted departure flights along with Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Denver International Airport.

The passengers began arriving from Japan March 19 on flights in support of the operation.

Operation Pacific Passage is the U.S. Northern Command-led voluntary return of military family members from Japan in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake and tsunami that struck the country.

More than 60 Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps members and more than 1,000 volunteers formed the JRCC at the Travis passenger terminal.

U.S. Army North operations at Travis were led by Army Col. Warlinde Richardson, defense coordinating officer for the JRCC.