Fairfield Info - Air Force Public Affairs Association

HomeFairfield Info

Get Ready for Fairfield
Register Now!

We'll be seeing you soon! 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.

You can use 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.

Go here to get the latest news from annual meeting committee chair Perry Nouis and local meeting coordinator Bud Ross.

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 instructions on how to reserve your room at the special AFPAA rate, along with tips on travelling to Fairfield.

Registration for the meeting opened on October 1st. You can register for the meeting online by clicking on the meeting registration link below. If you prefer to register by postal mail, you can download the PDF version of the meeting registration form here, or use the form included in the October-December 2025 version of News and Notes. You can use the other links to learn about the event schedule and find out who's planning to attend.

We’re looking forward to seeing you in sunny California!

Fairfield: Where Sweet Adventures Await AFPAA Members in April

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. You can use the meeting registration link above to sign up, or look for the paper registration form in News and Notes if you prefer to register by mail.