Vol. 40, No. 47 Thursday, November 22, 2012 Air Force graphic by Tech. Sgt. Tanika Belfield Thanks to the 6th Air Mobility Wing and 927th Air Refueling Wing Airmen for their hard work during the successful Consolidated Unit Inspection, earning an overall Excellent rating.
COMMANDER S CORNER So much to be thankful for this holiday by Col. Scott DeThomas 6th Air Mobility Wing commander This Thanksgiving, Team MacDill truly has much to be thankful for! We have outstanding Airmen and families with an incredible mission providing world class distinguished visitor airlift and air refueling. Not to mention the finest Air Force Base on the face of the planet, and an amazing community that provides the fabric that holds it all together. This incredible combination allows our team to deliver unsurpassed airpower every day. The long weekend and holiday provides a great opportunity for reflection and giving thanks. As we focus on Airmen and their families, it would be great to highlight all of your accomplishments, but the Thunderbolt would read like an entire set of encyclopedias. Instead, please know you are noticed, and you are each critical to this great team. This past week highlights what each of you brings to the table: Expert knowledge, disciplined thinking and overall expertise that thoroughly demonstrated why Team MacDill is so great That was a direct result of an environment of excellence that must be lived daily; that is where the real thanks can be found. The fact that each day you and your loved ones provide our nation an incredible service is what makes me most thankful. While the Inspector General has deemed us Excellent on our CUI, there is no doubt that this is possible because of the support from our friends outside the gate. Team MacDill is committed to building positive relationships with the communities surrounding our base. Our military members and their families are a major part of the Tampa Bay area and have a vested interest in its health. We take every opportunity to show we are good neighbors and will continue to be a positive force in those communities. Because of the disciplined stewardship our military members bring to MacDill s sur- See CORNER, Page 6 Col. Scott DeThomas We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all the hard work and preparations that were taken to solidify the fantastic achievement of 6th Air Mobility Wing and the 927th Air Refueling Wing on the Consolidated Unit 6th Air Mobility Wing shout-outs Inspection and overall Excelent rating. This CUI set a benchmark for recognitions with more than triple the normal amount of outstanding performers and overall team awards. Great work team! 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 email macdillwingcommander@us.af.mil. Gen. Raymond Johns, Air Mobility Command commander, praised Team MacDill for its command performance and hard work advancing the future of our command s inspection process. Commander s vision To view Col. Scott DeThomas remarks on his vision for MacDill AFB, go to www.macdill.af.mil and then click on Col. DeThomas priorities, mission, and expectations video in the upper left corner. 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 259-7455. 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 828-2215. Email: thunder.bolt@us.af.mil. Deadline for article submissions is noon, Thursdays 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 35-101.
NEWS/FEATURES Your T-bolt Today Happy Thanksgiving Week in photos: page 4 What are you thankful for? News/Features: page 10 What a community! News/Features: page 14 Cookie Drop is coming Community: page 17 Events, chapel, more... News/Features: page 18 Can t believe you ate it all? No way to thank you enough! by Nick Stubbs Thunderbolt editor Thanksgiving is a time to take stock, to recognize, appreciate and be grateful for the things we have. It also is a time for family, and in the case of MacDill Air Force Base that includes the extended family that is the Tampa Bay community. Its support of MacDill is nothing short of stellar, boosting morale among service members, improving education for MacDill s children, promoting health and safety, strengthening families, and fostering good will all around. The challenge of giving thanks to the Tampa Bay community is that it s difficult to know where to begin, and even harder to say where the support ends, say MacDill members like Liz Waters, director of the Airman & Family Readiness Center. It also is important to recognize how important that support is to helping Team MacDill accomplish its many missions. In that sense, the support of Tampa Bay is contributing to the freedom and security of the nation. The partnership we have between our military and civilian communities is vital for mission effectiveness, said Waters. When our military families feel supported and connected, the active duty member has peace of mind whether they are at home or deployed. And that support is not a flash in the pan. Operations tempo may have slowed with the wind-down in Iraq, but Year after year the support from our community grows larger and stronger, Waters said. The type of support and encouragement the city of Tampa provides our base community is simply unmatched. The most recent example of the community stepping up was when pro football player Vincent Jackson partnered with the A&FRC to support the reintegration program, offering tickets for every home game and team shirts to 24 members returning from deployment. Direct support of military members is only half of the picture. The Tampa Bay community is keenly aware of the importance of supporting military families, and particularly children. It was that concern that led a local attorney and his firm to raise $20,000 to set up the Junior Student 2 Student program in Hillsborough County Schools. A new-student welcoming and familiarization process conducted by trained students at each school, S2S aims to ease the process of adjusting to a new environment for children of military families transferring into See THANKS, Page 12 CUI complete! (Above) 6th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighters carry a mannequin to safety during an alarm activation exercise, a part of the Cosolidated Unit Inspection at MacDill, Nov. 15. (Right) Staff Sgt. Michael Olbrecht, 6th Logistic Readiness Squadron vehicle maintenance craftsman, and Tech. Sgt. Scott Keith, Air Mobility Command logistics compliance assessment program inspector, review a digital technical order during the inspection. Photos by Senior Airman Melanie Bulow-Kelly
HAPPY THANKSGIVING What are you thankful for? Photos by Airman 1st Class David Tracy I feel blessed for my husband and family. I m thankful for my job, and I love helping people. I have the best job in the world. ~ Joan Craft, Health and Wellness Center director. I m thankful for my family and for being alive. I m grateful to be presented with new opportunities every day. ~ Airman 1st Class Brandon Buford, 6th Force Support Squadron cook. I m thankful for my family and for God continually blessing me on my job and at home. ~ Staff Sgt. John Camacho, 6th Security Forces Squadron patrolman. I m thankful for my fiancé, job and family. Without those people in my life, I wouldn t be where I am today. ~ Capt. Joseph Smith, 6th Air Mobility Wing chief of contracts, claims and medical law.
corner From Page 2 rounding area, we are graced with overwhelming support from around the area. The great city of Tampa, has dedicated time, resources and mission support for many years and is another reason to be genuinely thankful. MacDill will forever be committed to being first-class neighbors to Tampa because, positive community relations are vital to our overall mission success. In today s military, no matter how technical our operations become or how wide our global missions expand, our people will continue to be our most treasured resources and with the constant support from our local community, our mission success exceeds all expectations. So again, I must say I am genuinely thankful for our Airmen, Service members, families, the success of our overall mission, and the outstanding community of Tampa and our team s outlook for the future.
On this Thanksgiving Day, MacDill says thank you to the Tampa Bay community You make us better. There are so many to thank in the Tampa Bay community, from businesses and social groups, to charitable organizations and just everyday citizens who step forward to help in any one of a number of ways. These pages include just a few scenes from the many community and partnership events held in recent months. They tell the story of a thankful MacDill, and a community that gives from the heart to improve the lives of military members and their families. That brand of giving ultimately supports the many missions at MacDill, which in turn plays an active role in helping secure this nation s freedom and liberty something we can all be thankful for this holiday season.
thanks From Page 3 four Hillsborough middle schools and one high school. Plans are to expand the program to other schools, said Nelly Richards, MacDill s school liaison officer. Programs like this might not be possible without the community stepping up to help make it happen, said Richards, who said the $20,000 raised by community leaders led to a matching grant. The initiative also illustrates how MacDill community relations lead to improvements that have a positive impact beyond military members and families. Student 2 Student isn t limited to orienting military children, but all children transferring into a new school, said Richards. Another recent example of community support for Mac- Dill is the completion of a new playground erected last week at Chevron Park, a residential neighborhood of Mac- Dill. With the support of a local bank in partnership with a non-profit organization that builds playgrounds around the country, was able to support MacDill children and families while furthering its goal to bring a playground within walking distance of every child in America. The many commercial sponsorships from the community are vital to the work of the 6th Force Support Squadron, said Wendy Foster, 6th FSS marketing director. Dozens of commercial enterprises assist MacDill with helpful programs, morale-boosting activities and other support for military members and their families, she said. MacDill is fortunate to have tremendous support from the Tampa Bay community in many areas including commercial sponsorship, donations and in-kind support to our basewide morale, recreation and welfare events which benefit our military and their families, said Foster. Events such as these are crucial to the resiliency of our service members, their dedication to the mission, their families, and their general overall well-being as they support our country. The helpfulness and concern our community shows in taking care of our people is truly something to be thankful for this holiday season. While the money donated or raised by businesses is a big part of local support for MacDill, it s not just business leaders who support the base, and many organizations and groups are involved, many of them longtime friends of the base dating back to MacDill s beginnings. Another great example of group and club support is the annual MacDill Holiday Dinner, a free early Thanksgiving dinner for activeduty members and families, held Nov. 15 this year. The message from Team MacDill is strong this holiday season: For all you do, thank you.
MACDILL COMMUNITY EVENTS Friday MacDill Lanes Kids Bowling Special $1 a game, $1 shoes. Monday Seascapes Beach House Beach on Fire from 4-9 p.m. Monday Madness Come watch the game, 50-cent wings and $2 drafts. Tuesday Seascapes Beach House Beach on Fire from 4-9 p.m. Texas Hold em Tournament starts at 6 p.m. No entry fee. Win FSS gift cards. Italian dinner feature. Wednesday Airman & Family Readiness Center - Brandon Better than a Budget from 10-11 a.m. The budget process is a great start to introduce a spending plan which will lead to better money management. Preparing a plan to utilize your income to categorize and prioritize the amount of money you actually have coming in. Seascapes Beach House Beach on Fire from 4-9 p.m. Wacky Wednesday Family Night Kids eat for $3.99! Southern dinner feature. Thursday Seascapes Beach House Beach on Fire from 4-9 p.m. Thirsty Thursdays Margaritas & karaoke. Mexican dinner feature. CHAPEL SCHEDULE Protestant services 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 services Friday - 1:30 p.m. - Muslim Prayer Service Call the chapel at 828-3621 for more information or visit the chapel web site at http://www.macdill.af.mil/macdillchapel. Photo by Staff Sgt. Angela Ruiz Senior Master Sgt. Jerry McClelland, flips burgers during a burger burn at MacDill, Nov. 20. The event was hosted by the MacDill Chiefs Group and the MacDill First Sergeants for MacDill members. Mark Your Calendar Arts & Crafts Open House Dec. 3 through 21 Fri, Dec. 7 Membership Breakfast at Surf s Edge Club
The typical Thanksgiving Day meal: the damage assessment Thunderbolt staff report It s Thanksgiving, just the begging of holiday gorging and root cause of so many New Years resolutions to drop a few pounds. It s sometimes easier said than done, but with the help of the MacDill Health and Wellness Center, weight loss and fitness are promises you can keep. Eat Smart...Play Hard MacDill: Shed those extra pounds The HAWC s 10-week weight management program balances nutrition, exercise principles, and techniques for lifestyle and behavior changes. Using the HAWC s state-of-the art evaluation tools, a registered dietitian will work with you to develop your customized program. Other options: Eat This, Not That: Don t let extra weight creep up on you This one-hour class provides strategies for maintaining a healthy weight throughout your life. Includes diet prescription. Forever Fit: Know your numbers This is a 1-hour class for guidance on nutrition and lifestyle changes to reduce the risks of developing high blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose. For information, call the HAWC at 828-4739. Menu item Calories Breakfast 2 pieces of toast 260 1 boiled egg 90 Appetizers 2 mixed holiday drinks 500 3 handfuls nuts 800 5 celery stuffed w/cream cheese 225 10 crackers w/cream cheese 700 Dinner 8 ounces white and dark turkey 480 1 cup mashed potatoes w/butter 300 1 cup stuffing 600 3-4 ladles gravy 800 ½ cup sautéed green beans 50 ¾ cup candied sweet potatoes 300 ½ cup cranberry sauce 200 2 rolls w/butter 360 1 piece pumpkin pie w/topping 540 1 cup coffee w/cream and sugar 50 1 glass cider or wine 150 Snack 1 turkey sandwich w/mayo 565 Side of dressing & cranberries 450 1 piece of pecan pie 700 Total calories: 8,220