TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The 349th Air Mobility Wing hosted its third annual Travis Air Reserve Experience 2025 on Aug. 3, 2025, an event that has become a benchmark for community-based recruiting and is now being replicated by other units.
The event is a direct and innovative response to a challenge facing the entire military: finding the next generation of service members.
“One of the issues that we're running into is recruiting and retaining airmen,” said Col. Cade C. Gibson, commander of the 349th Maintenance Group (MXG), which hosted the event. “We have an aging workforce, and so we're losing people daily. What we're trying to do is bring in the next generation of Air Force leaders and Air Force airmen.”
Rather than relying on traditional job fairs, the Travis Air Reserve Experience 2025 offers a hands-on, interactive approach. The day began with a welcome address from Col. Gibson, followed by a tour of a C-17 Globemaster III. Attendees then explored dozens of displays from units across the maintenance, medical, operations, and mission support groups. They had the chance to operate an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) robot with the 349th Civil Engineer Squadron, learn about the aeromedical mission, and talk directly with aircraft maintainers.
Highlighting the event’s direct impact, the day featured a special oath of enlistment ceremony. In front of attendees, community leaders, and wing leadership gathered on the ramp of a C-17 Globemaster III, Col. Gibson administered the oath to Shaun Ian Rodriguez, officially welcoming him as the wing’s newest Reserve Airman.
“The idea is to bring them in, let them actually have a hands-on experience with what they do, so it’s not so intimidating,” Gibson explained. “We actually have had real success stories where airmen come in and say, ‘I didn't realize that I wanted to be part of aircraft maintenance until I could actually see it and touch it.’”
The event, which started as a brainstorming idea in 2023, has grown each year by focusing on a key to retention: homegrown talent.
“We are a part of this community in Northern California,” Gibson said. “We found that if we can get homegrown talent, they will stay, serve with us tomorrow, and be satisfied in what they do.”
The success of the model has not gone unnoticed. The hands-on, community-focused approach is now being emulated by other units looking to solve their own recruiting challenges. Gibson credits the event’s founders and the team that has built upon their vision.
“There is a famous quote that says, ‘If I was able to see further, it's because I stood on the shoulders of giants,’” he said. “And I feel like that I am standing on the shoulders of giants.”
The event’s success was a wing-wide effort, underscored by the presence of Col. Joseph C. Romeo, 349th Operations Group commander, and Lt. Col. Dennis F. Hale, 349th Maintenance Support Group commander. The day concluded with a farewell address from the 349th AMW Commander, Col. Patrick L. Brady-Lee, reinforcing top-level commitment to the initiative.
For Gibson, the event’s ultimate message speaks to the unique value of the Air Force Reserve.
“The advantage of the Air Force Reserve is you can serve locally, but you could have impact nationally and even globally,” he said. “You can deploy on your terms and really save lives. And that's what we offer.”
The event’s success was spearheaded by Event Project Manager Tech. Sgt. Stephanie White, Attendee Manager Staff Sgt. Monica Lorico, and Senior Master Sgt. Charles G. Wandzilak II, 349th AMW Recruiting Office flight chief.
The 349th Air Mobility Wing, located at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., is the largest associate wing in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. It is the only Air Force Reserve unit that flies three major weapon systems—the C-17 Globemaster III, the C-5M Super Galaxy, and the KC-46A Pegasus—and has an aeromedical mission.