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  • Published
  • By Nick DeCicco
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  A ceremony here Jan. 15 marked the opening of a two-bay C-17 Globemaster III hangar.

The 105-foot tall facility was under construction since 2008. It is one of the final pieces in a 22-project series to make a home for the C-17 airframe at the base.

Col. Jim Vechery, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander, said the base's recent involvement in the humanitarian relief for victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti demonstrated the necessity for facilities such as the $43.1 million hangar.

"Things such as this hangar help us toward that effort," he said.

Col. Carol Johnson, the commander of the 60th Maintenance Group, said it's nice to have another place to protect the base's aircraft from the elements.

"Weather can be a challenge," she said.

Also on hand to unveil the 102,000-square foot hangar was Capt. Mike Williamson, the operations officer Naval Facility Engineering Command Southwest.

Captain Williamson noted that the project is the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certified hangar in the Air Force. LEED is a green building certification system.

Captain Williamson said the base's efforts to push toward a LEED silver certification will save the Air Force $2.3 million over 50 years.

He also added that 95 percent of the waste from the project was recycled, helping toward the LEED certification.

Known as Bldg. 837, white floors cover the facility in order to better reflect the light as well as provide an easy backdrop in case any small materials such as screws or bolts are dropped.

When an aircraft is inside, the accordion-style doors of the bay shutting behind it are 66-feet high and 192-feet wide.

The facility is the most expensive piece of the $150 million, 22-project effort to locate the C-17 mission at Travis.

Colonel Vechery called it a "wonderful facility" that improves the base's ability to do the mission.

"When the nation calls, we can go out and deliver what the nation requires," he said.