Final Operation Pacific Passage mission arrives at Travis

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Renni Thornton
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) --  The last flight transporting military family members who voluntarily departed Japan as part of Operation Pacific Passage arrived March 28 here.

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.

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 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.

Members here worked side-by-side with joint forces to provide administrative, financial and medical assistance to thousands of military family members and their pets as they arrived from Japan following an earthquake that rocked parts of Japan March 11.

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

Travis Air Force Base 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.

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

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