Mark your calendar! AFPAA's 2026 Annual Meeting and Reunion will be
held in Fairfield, California, home of Travis AFB, from April 30th to
May 2nd, 2026.
Fairfield, Travis AFB, and the hotel where we'll be staying – the
Hilton Garden Inn – are no strangers to many AFPAA members, as they
were our hosts for our very successful 2011 Annual Meeting.
The 2026 meeting will be the 29th in AFPAA's history. Originally
planned for the fall of 2025, it was moved to 2026 in response to
requests to move the time period for Annual Meetings from the fall to
the spring.
Once the details are finalized, you'll be able to use all the links on
this page to do most everything you need to get ready for the meeting.
Updates on meeting plans will be posted here as they become available,
so please check back frequently. You will also be seeing more news
about the meeting in upcoming editions of
News and Notes.
To get the latest news from annual meeting committee chair Perry Nouis
and local meeting coordinator Bud Ross, click on the image immediately
below:
In the meantime, we encourage you to
make your hotel reservations now. The
Hilton Garden Inn is offering a special group rate of $110 a night
(plus taxes and fees) for the duration of the meeting. And for those
interested in extending their stay so they can explore California wine
country and the San Francisco Bay area, the AFPAA group rate can be
used for three days before and three days after the meeting. But those
rates will only be good while rooms remain available, so don't delay
making your reservation!
Clicking on the hotel reservation link below will take you to a page
with both instructions on how to reserve your room at the special
AFPAA rate, and tips on travelling to Fairfield. You'll soon be able
to use the other links, currently greyed out, to register for the
meeting, learn about the event schedule, and find out who's planning
to attend. But they won't be greyed out for long, so check back soon
to make sure you're set for what promises to be another great meeting.
We’re looking forward to seeing you in sunny California!
By: Perry Nouis
“Sweet!” It's the reaction a lot of people have when they learn they
will be visiting Fairfield, California. Tucked between the bustling
cities of San Francisco and Sacramento, and near California’s famous
wine regions, Fairfield is the site for the Air Force Public Affairs
Association’s 29th Annual Membership Meeting. The meeting is scheduled
for April 30-May 2, 2026.
The host facility for the gathering is Fairfield’s Hilton Garden Inn,
the same hotel used when the Association last met there in 2011.
Bud Ross, the local meeting coordinator, has developed a full
itinerary that includes a visit to
Travis Air Force Base,
the “Gateway to the Pacific,” on Friday, May 1st. Strategically
located in California’s Solano County, Travis is well known for its
pivotal role in the U.S. Air Force as the largest air mobility hub on
the West Coast. It is home to the 60th Air Mobility Wing. The Wing
handles more cargo and passenger traffic than any other military air
terminal in the country. The base hosts a versatile fleet of cargo and
air refueling aircraft from the C-5M Super Galaxy, and C-17
Globemaster III, to the KC-46 Pegasus.
Visitors to Fairfield can wander through the uncrowded wine country
ambiance and rolling vineyards of nearby
Suisun Valley.
“The hospitality offerings have greatly expanded in the fourteen years
since the last annual meeting here,” Ross noted. “You will find more
high-end wineries, distilleries, craft breweries, olive tasting venues
and dining options at more reasonable prices than in the nearby wine
country.”
Filling out the itinerary will be the customary Annual Meeting
activities – the Membership Meeting, guest speakers, receptions,
luncheons, and the concluding Awards Banquet and Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony on Saturday evening.
Among the optional events that will be offered to members will be
Fairfield’s most iconic destination, the
Jelly Belly Factory.
Visitors to the factory can take a self-guided tour to see how the
famous jelly beans are made. The experience includes interactive
exhibits and plenty of sweet, wild-flavor samples.
The other optional events will include a golf outing at
Rancho Solano Golf Course
Thursday morning and complimentary wine tasting at the hotel Friday
evening. Details about those events will be provided separately to
those who register.
You will also find the American Armory Museum, which showcases
military vehicles and memorabilia from World War II, the Korean War,
and beyond. Highlights include General Patton’s command jeep and a
rare World War II Achilles tank.
Fairfield has much to offer. We encourage members to take advantage of
it. When online registration opens, you can
use the link above to sign up, or look for the
paper registration form in
News and Notes
if you prefer to register by mail.