A flight of passage: Former Commander of the 176th Wing takes to the skies one last time

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (KTUU) - Brig. Gen. Tony Stratton waits patiently inside a briefing room at the C-17 Operations and Maintenance building on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER).

Like so many times before, he’s waiting for word on his flight line.

Lt. Col. Brian Marasco pops his head in briefly to tell him he thinks he figured out a good window, but it will be later than originally planned. More pilots need to fly than there are aircraft available on this day.

Stratton doesn’t seem phased.

During his nearly 37-year career in the Alaska Air National Guard (AKANG), over 34 have been spent in mobility aircraft. He’s accrued thousands of flight hours between the C-17 and C-130 — and he even has various hours spread between T-37s, T-38s, H-60 Black Hawks, and HC 130s.

He knows flexibility is a given when it comes to flying in the Air Force.

But of all those hours in all those aircraft, the flight he’s about to captain in a C-17 Globemaster III marks the end of his military career.

Stratton is retiring, and what comes with that is a tradition that dates back to World War II: a “fini-flight.”

“It‘s an abbreviation of finished,” Stratton said.

Stratton has worked his way up through the ranks over the decades he‘s spent with the AKANG, most recently serving as the 176th Wing Commander since 2019. In late September, a change-of-command ceremony transferred that authority to Col. Joshua Armstrong.

Over the last four years, he said he‘s been working on transitioning to life outside the gates of Alaska’s largest installation. The fini-flight is one of the last items on his checklist before he boards a one-way flight to Florida to meet up with family.

“It‘s bittersweet,” Stratton said. “But it‘s a cool thing. I mean, there’s nothing like flying military airplanes.”

After a quick briefing, Stratton and Marasco walk down the halls to head toward the tarmac. Marasco makes a quick stop in a lounge room to fill a water gun, handing it over to a crew chief who will be on the flight with them.

“In case he tries to get away,” Marasco jokes to the airman.

The three then proceed to walk across the tarmac and board one of the few cargo jets available. It takes nearly an hour, between pre-checks and refueling, before the plane is wheels up.

Stratton and Marasco don’t stray far from JBER, landing briefly at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport for a celebratory water cannon before lifting back up.

As the pair of pilots perform patterns in the air near the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Stratton‘s colleagues begin to gather on the ground. It‘s this part of the tradition they don’t dare miss, armed with canisters and bottles of champagne, waiting patiently for Stratton to land.

Stratton maneuvers the C-17 to conduct a low pass over the airstrip, circling back around to perform a touch-and-go, where a pilot lands a plane and immediately takes off again.

“I knew he was going to do that,” someone says in the crowd.

As Stratton circles back a final time, he taxis back to the same parking spot he took off from an hour ago. After parking the plane, the crowd eagerly walks toward the stairs leading up to the flight deck.

Holding a bottle of champagne that would soon be sprayed at the general is Col. Matthew Kirby.

“I‘ve never splashed water on Gen. Stratton before, and nor will I ever again,” Kirby said. “I‘ve given him a high-five, that’s about it. That was as bold as I got.”

Stratton barely makes it down the stairs before four airmen circle him, each spraying him down with various liquids while cheering. On the flight deck, the crew chief on board gets him from behind with a super soaker water gun — the one Marasco was not subtle about filling before the flight.

Stratton didn’t fight the bombardment, nor did he try to get away. Standing proudly with his arms out and his head down to avoid the liquids from getting into his eyes.

As the champagne runs out, Stratton gives a thumbs up to the crowd and wipes his face before immediately proceeding to shake the hand of everyone in attendance.

While he’s making the rounds thanking all his colleagues, the crew chief that formally had the super soaker unsuspectingly comes up behind Stratton, dumping an Igloo cooler full of water over the top of the already-soaked general.

The formalities pause only briefly before the next colleague goes in to shake Stratton‘s hand. He pulls Stratton in to give him a pat on the back as water wicks off his flight suit.

It’s clear the 176th Wing is going to miss his leadership.

“He hired half of us, I think at this point, in the Air National Guard — he hired me once,” Kirby said. “He truly is like a coach that is leaving his legacy and his staff that’s still around.”

Stratton admits he’s going to miss them too.

“The organization, the Alaska Air National Guard, the 176th Wing of the Arctic Guardians have been phenomenal,” Stratton said. “I just thank you for 36 years of a great career, and great fellowship, and getting the mission done.”

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