Air traffic controllers on the job - page 8

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1 Vol. 42, No. 2 Thursday, January 9, 2014 News/Features: page 3 AF PT in the community News/Features: page 3 Comm makes it happen News/Features: page 4 Bouncing back Pirate s Log: 9 Jan 1793 Tales from Aviation History: French inventor and aviation pioneer Jean Pierre Blanchard conducted the first flight in the United States, as well as North America. He ascended from Philadelphia, flew in the vicinity of the present site of Philadelphia International Airport, and eventually landed in New Jersey. One of the flight's witnesses was President George Washington. Others in attendance included future presidents News/Features: page 6 Pirate s Log Community: page 13 Events, Chapel, more... Air traffic controllers on the job - page 8 Photo by Senior Airman Melissa V. Paradise Senior Airman James Hinton, 6th Operations Support Squadron air traffic controller, checks the status on inbound and outbound flights at Mac- Dill Air Force Base, Dec. 18. Annually 15,300 aircraft use the skies above MacDill.

2 COMMANDERS CORNER Kicking off a total force new year by Col. Bradford Anderson 927th Air Refueling Wing vice commander I would first like to wish you all a Happy New Year and hope that you were able to enjoy the holiday season with some well-deserved time off with family and friends. However, we all know that some of our Airmen were not able to have the holidays off as they were deployed overseas or away from home. This is a perfect demonstration of how we exhibit the Air Force core value of service before self. There are many of us who have deployed over the holidays and many more that will continue to do so in the future. As I look forward to 2014, I continue to be amazed with the dedication, service, and commitment of our outstanding Airmen as we continue to meet our deployed requirements. The Air Force Reserve and the 927th Air Refueling Wing in a total force effort continue to answer the nation s call as we begin a new round of mobilizations to start Over the past few weeks, 927th aeromedical evacuation and KC-135 aircrew, operations support, and maintenance personnel deployed. These mobilizations are in addition to our security forces team and other members from the wing who are currently deployed. In order to make these deployments possible it takes a total force effort from multiple agencies across the wing and the outstanding support from our partners in the 6th Air Mobility Wing. These Airmen are trained and ready to go because of this outstanding team effort. This often requires going the extra mile to accomplish last minute training requirements. One such example was the combined efforts to ensure a weekend flying training mission was successfully executed to provide valuable mission certification training for the aeromedical evacuation crews. Looking forward to 2014 and beyond our Air Force will continue to leverage the strengths of the total force concept to meet our nation s needs. Currently, about 50 percent of the air refueling capability and 85 percent of the aeromedical evacuation capability is in the Air Reserve component. As you can see with that force structure, a combined active, guard and reserve commitment is needed to get the mission done. With the cost benefits of the reserve component, the Air Force will continue to depend on the total Force concept for future success. Although we will face many challenges and changes in 2014, one thing is certain we will always get the mission accomplished because that is what we always do. We serve in the greatest Air Force in the world and whether Col. Bradford Anderson active duty, guard, reserve or civilian, your dedication and commitment will continue to ensure that our Airmen are trained and ready when the nation calls. So once again, Happy New Year and thanks in advance for your steadfast efforts, professionalism and most importantly team work in the coming year! COMMANDER S ACTION LINE The Action Line provides two-way communication between the 6th Air Mobility Wing commander and the MacDill community. A 24-hour recording service is provided so personnel may submit questions, concerns or comments. Call the Action Line at 828-INFO (4636) or macdillwingcommander@us.af.mil. MacDill on the web Website: Facebook: MacDillAirForceBase MacDill Thunderbolt Publisher: Bill Barker Editor: Nick Stubbs The MacDill Thunderbolt is published by Sunbelt Newspapers, Inc., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force. This commercial enterprise newspaper is an authorized publication for distribution to members of the U.S. military services on MacDill. Contents of the MacDill Thunderbolt are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by the U.S. government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or the 6th Air Mobility Wing. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force, 6th Air Mobility Wing or Sunbelt Newspapers, Inc., of the products or service advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user, or patron. Display advertising or classified advertising information may be obtained by calling (813) News items for the MacDill Thunderbolt can be submitted to the 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs office, 8208 Hangar Loop Dr., suite 14, MacDill AFB, FL 33621, or call the MacDill Thunderbolt staff at thunder.bolt@us.af.mil. Deadline for article submissions is noon, Wednesdays to appear in the next week s publication. Articles received after deadline may be considered for future use. All submissions are considered for publication based on news value and timeliness. Every article and photograph is edited for accuracy, clarity, brevity, conformance with the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual and Air Force Instruction

3 NEWS/FEATURES Air Force PT in the community Nobody rocks until comm rolls Courtesy Photo Members of the 6th Communications Squadron teach children from Saint Anthony Catholic School how to do pyramid push-ups during physical education Dec. 5 in Tampa. Seven volunteers, including a former U.S. Air Force Basic Military Training instructor, volunteered to perform a modified version of BMT physical training exercises with fifth through eighth graders. Photo by Airman 1st Class Tori Schultz Senior Airman Jessica Hilderbrand, 6th Communications Squadron communication focal point controller, puts in a work order at MacDill Air Force Base, Jan. 3. CFP controllers are the center point of maintenance and job control for the 6th CS. by Staff Sgt. Brittany Liddon 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs Initially, the intent was to visit the child to teach them about physical fitness and to get them excited about exercise, said Tech. Sgt. Matthew Orlando, 6th Communications Squadron. Orlando used his experience as an U.S. Air Force Basic Military Training instructor to assist in teaching physical education techniques to students from Saint Anthony Catholic School in Tampa, Fla. I made sure to change the style of the exercises from those actually performed in BMT to those that were more child-friendly and fun to do, Orlando said. The workouts, which were taught to fifth through eighth grade students, were modified versions of the actual physical training See PT, Page 10 by Airman 1st Class Tori Schultz 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs On a daily basis the U.S. Air Force relies on lines of communication to carry out its mission. When stops working or access is needed to certain drives, communication focal point controllers are there to save the day. Being a CFP can be challenging because they have to meet the expectations of every branch of service and all the combatant commands on MacDill Air Force Base. As a CFP member your job is to stay by the phones and monitor jobs, said Senior Airman Jessica Hilderbrand, 6th Communications Squadron CFP controller. We provide a clear line of communication for all work centers to include individual back shops and other career field shops. A CFP controller manages tickets and work orders for four work centers, along with scheduling authorized service interruptions and overseeing high priority jobs for satellite communications and airfield systems. Preventative maintenance inspections for over eight work centers are also the responsibility of a CFP controller. We are in charge of reporting high priorities up to our higher leadership and more importantly to the entire base, said Hilderbrand. The base has to be notified with any communication outages or intermittence the network may have. In addition to being a controller, they are technicians as well. They separate the technicians that actually go out from the CFPs. CFP is an 18-month rotation and once completed you return to their original duties. As a CFP controller, we are the center point of maintenance and job control for 6th CS, said Hilderbrand. Nobody rocks until comm rolls we are wired up, fired up! The U.S. Air Force uses lines of communication daily to complete the mission. CFP controllers ensure the communication flow continues without interruption, which allows Airmen to accomplish duties efficiently. Without these mission essential personnel, Team MacDill would not function effectively.

4 NEWS/FEATURES Resiliency: Airmen learn to bounce back using coping skills by Senior Airmen Jenay Randolph 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs Are you going to let something out of your control, control you? asked Chief Master Sgt. Robin Brooks, 6th Medical Group superintendent and resiliency instructor, during a resiliency training session held Dec. 12 at MacDill Air Force Base. Currently, resiliency is a topic of major importance throughout the Air Force. It teaches Airmen how to cope with unexpected situations that could arise in their lives, whether it s professional or personal. It provides the skill sets that have been deemed helpful during those times of struggle. Experiences in life are our best teacher of resilience, explained Brooks. This training just makes you aware of easier everyday practices that you could use to help you with those difficult life choices. We wonder why resiliency is so important. Being resilient can improve performance, health, teamwork and leadership, which are the key components that make for better Airmen and a stronger Air Force. During the training, the focus was on what is now known as the four domains of Comprehensive Airmen Fitness, which are physical, mental, social, and spiritual. Each domain is broken down into skill sets that aid in their improvement. Airmen s physical well-being is linked strongly to our resilience and emotional wellbeing. This domain consists of nutrition, sleep, and supplements. As a result of being physically healthy, mental wellness improves greatly. Tools discussed to assist in mental stability is counting your blessings, balancing your thinking, and cultivating your beliefs and thoughts. The combination of good mental and physical health, promotes the wellness of both your social and spiritual domains. Social and spiritual are the domains that play a major role in your work stations. They Photo by Senior Airmen Jenay Randolph Members of the 6th Air Mobility Wing attend resiliency training Dec. 12, at MacDill Air Force Base. The training focused on the four domains of comprehensive Airmen fitness, which include physical, mental, social, and spiritual, and how to use the skill sets to improve our everyday professional and personal lives. assist you in handling interpersonal conflict correctly. How you respond to the experiences in your life and the choices you make are completely yours. Resiliency is about making smart choices and using the tools given to overcome these obstacles. For more information contact Tech Sgt. Jazmin Rodriguez, NCO in charge of the Mac- Dill Area Resiliency Center at Human trafficking-a cautionary tale by Adriana Walker Reader submission My friend, Erik, invited me to watch a movie that he recently made, called Finding Faith. Now, I feel that I have to share this with all my MacDill Air Force Base friends, because I consider this a big eye-opener for parents, but especially military parents with kids making friends all over the world. This movie touches the topic of human trafficking and tells the actual events that occurred to a young girl in Virginia. This abduction occurred through the use of a cellphone and new technology allowing kids to chat via these new smart phones. While she thought she was chatting with a 16 year old boy, she was really speaking to a 38-year-old man, who later drove 400 miles to abduct her. Military families, we must work in educate more of our young people and ourselves.

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6 Pirate s Log: 9 Jan 1793 Tales from Aviation History: French inventor and aviation pioneer Jean Pierre Blanchard conducted the first flight in the United States, as well as North America. He ascended from Philadelphia, flew in the vicinity of the present site of Philadelphia International Airport, and eventually landed in New Jersey. One of the flight's witnesses was President George Washington. Others in attendance included future presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe.

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8 Airman 1st Class Joseph Maney, 6th Operations Support Squadron air traffic controller apprentice, checks the weather and flight schedule for outbound aircraft at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., Dec. 18. Air traffic controllers are in upgrade training for approximately one year. Senior Airman Romulo Montero, 6th Operations Support Squadron air traffic controller, documents pertinent information for an incoming aircraft at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., Dec. 18. Approximately 15,300 aircraft use the air space above MacDill annually. Senior Airman Romulo Montero, 6th Operations Support Squadron air traffic controller, looks through binoculars at a circling Coast Guard helicopter at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., Dec. 18. More than 15,300 aircraft use the air space above MacDill to include the Coast Guard, Hillsborough County Sheriff s department and other visiting aircraft. Senior Airman Romulo Monte parting KC-135 Stratotanker

9 In control MacDill s air traffic controllers Photos by Senior Airman Melissa V. Paradise ro, 6th Operations Support Squadron air traffic controller, looks through binoculars at a deat MacDill Air Force Base, Dec. 18. Annually 15,300 aircraft use the skies above MacDill. Senior Airman Romulo Montero, 6th Operations Support Squadron air traffic controller, documents pertinent information for an incoming aircraft at MacDill Air Force Base, Dec. 18. Approximately 15,300 aircraft use the air space above MacDill annually.

10 PT From Page 3 program that is used at BMT. Some of the exercises that were taught to the children were standard and pyramid push-ups, sit-ups, flutter kicks, squats, and cross-knee crunches. The most challenging part of this experience was adapting my teaching style from adults to children and my worry was that the kids might not have fun with this kind of interaction, Orlando explained. But the children seemed to be really excited about having a member of the Air Force teaching them some of the same exercises done in BMT by trainees and future Airmen. The plan for continuing this program is to gather volunteers from Team MacDill to visit schools to lead physical education. The volunteers hope to help encourage children to exercise and go home and inspire their families to become more physically active. Incorporating physical fitness into their daily lives will give children a vital tool to ward off childhood obesity, juvenile diabetes, and even various cardiovascular diseases, explained Orlando. I would like to think that by inspiring these children to strive to exercise more and teaching them that exercise can be fun and rewarding, the message will follow the children home and hopefully inspire families to exercise together and live happier, healthier, more fulfilling lives. Saint Anthony Catholic School is the first school to have this program brought to their students. After my experience with the children, I think it would be a great idea to start a program where we could visit schools and teach physical fitness and how the Air Force contributes not only to defending this country but to our community as well, said Orlando. Thursday, 23 January Blue Ribbon Pie Contest from 2:30 to 4pm with tastings & judging! Prizes along with Blue, Red and White Ribbons will be given to finalists with Gold, Silver and Bronze for the winners. Recipes will be featured in the MacDill Family Cookbook. FREE entry & open to the first 100 entries, please sign up early! For more information call Seascapes Beach House National Pie Day Everyone Welcome! Pie Specials Available All Day! Food & Drink Specials!

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12 NEWS/FEATURES Say goodbye to 2013 and smoking; the HAWC can help by Nick Stubbs Thunderbolt editor It s a new year, and one of the top New Year s resolutions is to kick the smoking habit. The MacDill Health and Wellness Center is ready to partner with you to make sure it happens, and offers proven tobacco cessation programs. One option is the four-week program that helps participants kick the habit for good using the American Cancer Society Freshstart program. Group discussion as well as information on exercise, stress management and weight control is included. Medication may be prescribed. Class hours at the MacDill Airman Resiliency Center are 2:30-3:30. Class hours at the HAWK are 4:30-5:30. According to the American Cancer Society, the Freshstart evidence-based approach is geared to help participants increase their motivation to quit, learn effective approaches for quitting and guide them in making a successful quit attempt. The evidence-based components of Freshstart include: u Motivational intervention activities u Practical counseling (problem solving skills) u Social support u Education about medication and approaches to quitting Freshstart participants choose a combination of techniques and cessation treatments they will use in their quit attempt. Participants also make an informed choice about which techniques they will use in making their quit attempt, such as cold turkey, scheduled smoking, medications, tapering, etc. Another cessation option at the HAWC is Dr. Tom Ferguson s No-Nag, No-Guilt, Do-It- Your-Own-Way Guide to Quitting Smoking. The program offers a reasoned, responsible and practical approach to control, reduce, and quit smoking on the smoker s terms. It shows how to pinpoint the psychological factors behind your habit, as well as alternative ways to handle them; use exercise, stress management, and a prudent diet to reduce your desire to smoke, and much more. Another cessation tool in the HAWC arsenal is the Ready, Set, Stop! Stop Smoking Audio Program developed by Fern Carness, RN, MPH. The audio program on CDs includes a 26-page booklet, and tackles the smoking problem using no scare tactics and no medical horror stories. It utilizes plain, practical methods that really work. The smoker decides when and where to use this program and sets his own quit date, and chooses how to quit using a variety of tips and methods to help find an approach that works. More information on these options and others can be found at the HAWC website at or by calling the HAWC at

13 MACDILL COMMUNITY EVENTS Friday Historic flight relived Photo by Staff Sgt. Brittany Liddon The Hoffman X-4 Mullet Skiff, a replica of the Benoist 2014, lands near the seaplane basin at Peter O. Knight Airport, Tampa, on Jan. 1. The Benoist 2014 was a reproduction of the first airliner. The landing was part of a reenactment to mark the centennial of the world s first airline flight, which originated in Tampa Bay on Jan. 1, CHAPEL SCHEDULE Protestant service Sunday - 11 a.m. - Contemporary Service Sunday - 9:30 a.m. - FAMCAMP Service Catholic services Saturday - 5:30 p.m. - Mass Sunday - 9:30 a.m. - Mass Islamic service Monday-Wednesday - 12:10 p.m. Mass Friday - 1:30 p.m. - Muslim Prayer Service Call the chapel at for more information or visit the chapel web site at