60th Maintenance Operations Squadron leaves Travis with legacy

by By Airman 1st Class Madelyn Brown
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

5/20/2013 - TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The 60th Maintenance Operations Squadron formally recognized its long-standing reputation and contributions to the Air Force mission during an inactivation ceremony Friday at the 60th Maintenance Group atrium.

The 60th MXG will absorb all personnel except the commander.

The final commander of the 60th MOS will continue his leadership in the Air Force and transition to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas.

Col. Mark Weber, 60th MXG commander, made remarks in regard to the future of the 60th MOS.

"The unit is transferred to inactive roles, but can be activated whenever needed," he said. "Where one squadron is inactivated, another organization is created. The 60th MOS is the heart and soul of the maintenance team."

Weber then presented the meritorious service medal to the final commander of the 60th MOS, Lt. Col. David Bennet, who is now part of a lineage along with the 10 commanders of MOS who came before him.

In his parting words as the 60th MOS commander, Bennet addressed the Airmen he led during his time as commander.

"I may be the commander," he said. "But without all of you, I don't get anything done. I have learned so much from watching all of you."

Squadrons are the basic building blocks of the Air Force, Bennet said. To witness the incredible feats these maintenance Airmen accomplish in addition to their professionalism has been a fortunate experience.

Prior to closing the ceremony, the incredible lineage and legacy of the squadron was presented for the ceremony attendees.

The squadron was previously named the 60th Station Complement Squadron during World War II, the 60th Logistics Support Squadron in 1991 and, in 2002, was redesignated as the 60th MOS.

In World War II-era, the 60th SCS supported fighter combat and heavy bomber operations against German forces in Nazi-occupied Europe.

When the squadron reconstituted to the 60th LSS, their mission expanded to oversight of multimillion-dollar budget, facilities, manpower and training for the largest logistics group in the Air Force. The Maintenance Qualification Training Program was developed in 1994 and, in 1996, the 60th LSS moved to Travis Air Force Base along with the KC-10 Extender air-refueling mission.

The 60th LSS was once again redesignated in 2002, this time to its final squadron title, the 60th MOS. In current day, the mission of the MOS was to provide support to maintain and sustain 18 C-5 Galaxy aircraft, 13 C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and 27 KC-10 Extender aircraft at Travis.

The MOS was comprised of various shops including quality assurance, aircraft plans, scheduling and documentation, the maintenance operations center, the programs and resources flight, the analysis technology and the training flight.

"I am honored to have been the last commander of the 60th Maintenance Operations Squadron in the Air Force," Bennet said. "To the men and women of the MOS, I thank you."

The ceremony for the 60th MXG concluded with the singing of the Air Force song by the participants and attendees.