MacDillhostsreadinessexercise6u u Thursday,November28,2019 u MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT byStaffSgt.JordynFetter AFWERXPublicAffairs AUSTIN, Texas (AFNS)—From July through Nov. 18 …

MACDILL THUNDERBOLT u Thursday, November 28, 2019 u WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM u 1

Vol. 47, No. 48 Thursday, November 28, 2019

News/Features: page 3Snelson speaks to cadets

News/Features: page 6Project NEXUS

News/Features: page 26thARW ‘Outstanding’

Community: page 14Events, Chapel, more...

Week in photos: page 4Images from the week

Photo by Airman 1st Class Ryan C. Grossklag

An HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter assigned to the 305th Rescue Squadron (RQS), Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., fliesabove the waters of Tampa Bay Nov. 8. MacDill Air Force Base hosted the 305th RQS and Special Forces for an exercise.

MacDill hosts readiness exercise - page 8

2 u WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM u Thursday, November 28, 2019 u MACDILL THUNDERBOLT

MacDill ThunderboltPublisher: Joe DeLuca

Editor: Nick Stubbs

The MacDill Thunderbolt is published by the Times Publish-ing Company, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S.Air Force. This commercial enterprise newspaper is an autho-rized publication for distribution to members of the U.S. mili-tary services on MacDill. Contents of the MacDill Thunderboltare not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by the

U.S. government, the Department of Defense, the Departmentof the Air Force or the 6th Air Refueling Wing.

The appearance of advertising in this publication, includinginserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement bythe Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force,6th Air Refueling Wing or the TImes Publishing Company of theproducts or service advertised.

For retail advertising, call (813) 226-3318.Everything advertised in this publication shall be made

available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard torace, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status,physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit

factor of the purchaser, user, or patron.News items for the MacDill Thunderbolt can be submitted

to the 6th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs office, 8208 HangarLoop Dr., suite 14, MacDill AFB, FL 33621. Call the Thunderboltat 828-2215. Email: [email protected].

Deadline for article submissions is noon, Wednesdays toappear in the next week’s publication. Articles received afterdeadline may be considered for future use. All submissions areconsidered for publication based on news value and timeliness.

Every article and photograph is edited for accuracy, clar-ity, brevity, conformance with the “Associated Press Stylebookand Libel Manual” and Air Force Instruction 35-101.

COMMANDER’S ACTION LINE

The Action Line provides two-way communication between the6th Air Refueling Wing commander and the MacDill community. Per-sonnel may submit questions, concerns or comments via email [email protected] or Facebook @6thARWCommandTeam

Website: www.macdill.af.mil

Facebook: www.facebook.com/

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Instagram: macdill_afb

Twitter: @macdill_afb

MacDill on theweb

NEWS/FEATURES

For information about base operations during emergencies or natural disasters, call the Straight Talk Line at 828-4163

6th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

The 6th Air Refueling Wing was recentlyawarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Awardfor exceptionally meritorious service from Oct.1, 2017 to Sept.. 30, 2019.

The award is given to units distinguishingthemselves by exceptionally meritorious ser-vice or outstanding achievements that set themabove other Air Force units.

“The incredible and even heroic efforts of ourAirmen demonstrated not only the highest levelof integrity, service and excellence, but demon-strated exceptional innovation and ingenuityabove and beyond the already high demandsplaced on them each and every day,” said Col.Stephen Snelson, 6th ARW commander. “I’m ex-tremely honored to serve alongside the men andwomen of this wing.”

Colonel Snelson also thanked the local com-munity for their support. “Team MacDill couldnot accomplish the mission, or even exist, with-out the outstanding support of the Tampa Bayarea community.”

The AFOUA was last awarded to the wing forthe period of Jan. 1, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2017. It’sthe 16th time in its history the wing has earnedthe award.

During this period, the 6th ARW supportedoperations Inherent Resolve and Freedom’sSentinel, executing more than 3,000 combatmissions in the U.S. Central Command’s area ofresponsibility, as well as responding to numer-ous contingency and humanitarian missions.

The 6th ARW also made a large humanitar-

ian impact during the aftermath of HurricaneMichael by conducting 10 town halls assistingover 140 families and 11,000 personnel whoevacuated to the Tampa region from TyndallAFB, Florida.

In addition to its exceptional operationalachievements, the 6th ARW hosted the Depart-ment of Defense’s annual Wounded Warrior

6th ARW earns 16th Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

Photo by Airman 1st Class Ryan C. Grossklag

Personnel of the 6th Air Refueling Wing gather for a group photo at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.,Oct. 30, 2019. The 6th ARW’s mission is to provide unmatched air refueling and installation & mis-sion support.

See AWARD, Page 11


NEWS/FEATURES

by Airman First Class David McLoney6th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

The Combined Federal Campaign kicked off Sept. 9 at MacDill AirForce Base and will run until Jan. 12.

According to the U.S. Office of Personal Management, the mission ofthe CFC is to promote and support philanthropy through a program thatis employee focused, cost-efficient and effective in providing Federal em-ployees the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all.

The CFC is the world’s largest and most successful annual workplacecharity and gives employees the opportunity to support local, nationaland international charities of their choice.

The Florida regional campaign, including counties in Southern Florida,Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, allows campaign workers to so-licit contributions from federal employees in their respective regions.

“Giving season is upon us, and the 2019 Combined Federal Campaignis well underway,” said Jose Rodriguez, Sunshine Zone Central FloridaCFC associate director. “Together, we have a collective impact, supportingthousands of charities that depend on our generosity to make a differ-ence.”

Rodriguez explained that cash is no longer accepted, but donations canbe made by payroll deduction or allotment.

‘Show Some Love’ by donating through CFC

by Airman 1st Class Shannon Bowman6th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

Finding a path to a fulfilling career can be adifficult task. Even with the best planning, un-expected twists and turns can arise at the mostinopportune times.

Proper preparation and laying a foundationoften keeps most individuals on track, and forcadets with the 158th Cadet Wing at the Univer-sity of South Florida, their dedication and com-mitment is setting a course for bright futures asnew leaders in the Air Force.

During a visit with 158th CW cadets, Col.Steve Snelson, the 6th Air Refueling Wing com-mander, spoke about his experiences as an ROTCcadet and what it takes to be an effective com-missioned officer in the U.S. Air Force.

“It is incredible how you will be tested as newlieutenants,” said Snelson. “Embrace the test be-cause as new lieutenants you will have the joyof doing all sorts of new jobs, and those oppor-tunities may make the difference in leading youdown a great path.”

Snelson discussed the impact good leaders canhave on their Airmen, and how they are a keyfactor in force retention.

“As officers, you should encourage your Air-

MacDill wing commander inspires future leaders

See ROTC, Page 12

Photo by Airman 1st Class Shannon Bowman

U.S. Air Force Col. Steve Snelson, the 6th Air Refueling Wing commander, speaks to Air ForceROTC cadets from the 158th Cadet Wing at the University of South Florida, Nov. 12. Snelsonspoke about his experience in the ROTC, and what it takes to be a commissioned officer in theU.S. Air Force.

Courtesy graphic

The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) officially kicked off at MacDillAir Force Base Sept. 9. The Sunshine CFC, which operates 34 Floridacounties, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, is an annual windowof opportunity to contribute to various local or global causes availableto Federal and Congressional employees and retirees.See CFC, Page 15


Photo by Airman 1st Class Nicholas Larsen

First Term Airmen Course (FTAC) graduates pose for a photo after their graduation ceremonyalong with U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. John Verrecchio, career assistance advisor, left;Command Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Green, 6th Air Refueling Wing command chief, center;and Tech. Sgt. Adam Baker, FTAC instructor, right, at MacDill Air Force Base Nov. 22. The five-day FTAC is designed to transition Airmen from a training mindset to the mission orientedenvironment. FTAC reinforces lessons learned in basic military training and technical trainingto prepare Airmen for their role in supporting the mission. The course also provides Airmen aunique opportunity to further develop their warrior ethos and continued expeditionary mindset.

WEEK IN PHOTOS

Photo by Roland Balik

A U.S. Army carry team transfers the remains of Chief Warrant Officer 2 David C. Knadle of Tarrant, Texas, during a dignified transfer Nov. 21, at DoverAir Force Base, Del. Knadle was assigned to 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Photo by Tech. Sgt. Ian Dean

Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett, left,speaks with Maj. Logan Jergens, 379th Expedi-tionary Force Support Squadron, during a tour atAl Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Nov. 17. During their firstoverseas trip, Barrett and Air Force Chief of StaffGen. David L. Goldfein met with Al Udeid AB andQatari leadership, visited Airmen, toured facilitiesand held an all-call.



by Staff Sgt. Jordyn FetterAFWERX Public Affairs

AUSTIN, Texas (AFNS)—From July through Nov. 18 enlisted, officerand civilian personnel traveled to the AFWERX-Austin hub to participatein Project NEXUS, an Air Education and Training Command Initiativetesting how to equip Airmen with industry-standard digital competenciesincluding software development, data science and user interface/user expe-rience design.

Championed by Capt. Kyle Palko, an operations research analyst bytrade and an Air Force game-changer by spirit, the course intended to up-lift the service’s standards for organic talent development and align themwith those in the civilian sector.

“The Air Force is losing the war for technical talent,” Palko said. “We arefinding it increasingly difficult to compete with the Googles, Amazons, orFacebooks of the world to recruit digital talent. Instead, the Air Force is go-ing to have to enable opportunities to build our expertise from within.”

In an effort to preserve and expand the U.S. military’s advantage in thisnew operating environment, the Department of Defense is making it apriority to cultivate talent for an adaptive, innovative and capable digitalforce.

With that challenge in mind, the AETC technology integration detach-

NEWS/FEATURESProject NEXUS: EmpoweringtheUSAF’s digital talent

Photo by Staff Sgt. Jordyn Fetter

Maj. Gen. Mark Weatherington, center, Air Education and Training Com-mand deputy commander, stands with the first class of the Project NEX-US program after their graduation ceremony at the Capital Factory inAustin, Texas, Nov. 4. Designed by the AETC technology integration de-tachment and hosted by the AFWERX-Austin hub, the beta test programwas designed to fuel organic technology problem solving efforts for Air-men in their day-to-day workplaces.See NEXUS, Page 7


ment designed a program to train three cohorts of six Airmen each in part-nership with Air Force organizations like the Air Force Chief Data Office,Kessel Run, and LevelUP, and executed by three vendors: GrowthX Acad-emy, Data Society, and The Tech Academy.

In addition to stand-alone training, the course provided Airmen the op-portunity to formulate solutions for 12 Air Force problems as their cap-stone projects, which resulted in three prototyped software applicationsand nine data science models for programs like Pilot Training Next andorganizations like the Air Force Recruiting Service.

“Agile software development is key to the Air Force’s future and this na-tion’s ability to compete in a near-peer, multi-domain environment,” saidLt. Col. Eric Frahm, ATID director. “Innovation efforts like NEXUS areunleashing the power of Airmen to solve problems at the unit level. Thestudents demonstrated how ordinary Airmen, given access to the right da-ta and training, can produce applications to assist with everything fromaircraft mission planning to service-level force management.”

As with any experiment, the bulk of the planning and execution processwas spent on testing educated assumptions, tweaking operations as neededand collecting all the necessary feedback and data to determine the effec-tiveness of the course.

Through the evaluation process, Palko found that one of the key benefitsof NEXUS is the cost savings of training by utilizing Air Force personnel.For the price of a single contract, mid-level software developer NEXUS cantrain about six Airmen with similar competencies.

“This proved that the immersive boot-camp model is a viable solution totake high-performing Airmen of any rank or career field and upskill themat a fraction of the cost of outsourcing,” Palko said. “With organic techni-cal talent, we can develop and field software faster, provide data insightsfor commanders on demand, and build the DNA of the Digital Air Force in

preparation for the wide-scale adoption of artificial intelligence.”In order to maximize the students’ time spent in the course and set them

up for success following graduation, they also were exposed to the AFW-ERX ecosystem and embedded in a tech hub.

Whether it be Maj. Rachel Ramirez taking advantage of a weekend hack-a-thon to put her UI/UX design skills to the test or Senior Airman JacobTraugott choosing to join the Vance Air Force Base Spark Cell followinggraduation, the resources available to Project NEXUS students served asthe foundation for a career bolstered by robust personal networks and theexposure to new ways of doing things.

“When you read about different technologies and actually see it in actionhere, it opens up your worldview,” said Staff Sgt. Gavin Munoz, 81st Train-ing Support Squadron software developer and Project NEXUS graduate.“Now, we’re wondering what’s next, what other possibilities are out therefor us.”

After 120 days of technical training, mentorship events and integrationinto a support network, the students wrapped up with an experiment Nov.4 that developed skills ranging from full-stack and iOS development tocollaboration via notebooks and machine learning with (programming lan-guage) Python, ready to tackle their unit’s challenges with a new perspec-tive.

“This isn’t about solving the Air Force’s biggest problems all at one timeand it shouldn’t be,” said Maj. Gen. Mark E. Weatherington, AETC deputycommander, during the course’s graduation. “This is about grassroots ef-forts solving local problems, small problems that make a big difference forour Airmen.”

As a result of the service’s investment in these 18 Airmen combined withtheir commitment to bettering themselves, the graduates are now movingon to build a smarter, faster Air Force.

NEXUSFrom Page 6


story and photos by Airman 1st Class Ryan C. Grossklag6th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

For around a week, the skies over MacDill Air Force Base, Florida buzzed withthe sounds of HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters, as the base hosted a Joint Forcedeployment readiness exercise.

The 512th Airlift Wing, Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, and the 445th AirliftWing, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, transported the assets needed by the305th Rescue Squadron, Davis-Monthan, Air Force Base, Arizona, using a C-5 Su-per Galaxy and two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft in a show of total force mobility.

U.S. Air Force Reserve Airmen and U.S. Army Special Forces have made Mac-Dill’s Deployed Unit Complex their temporary home for the exercise as MacDill isthe ideal location for the operations taking place at Avon Park Air Force Range, Fla.Resources available at MacDill and the Tampa Bay area provide all the necessitiesfor successful mission completion for the units.

“It’s been very beneficial being at MacDill, especially with the facilities availablehere,” said a U.S. Army Special Forces captain who could not be named to preserveoperation security. “Being here provides different environments than we are used

to.”The 305th RQS conducted readiness operations at Avon Park and over

Bay. By teaming with Special Forces, each provide a hand in honing their respectiveunits’ deployment readiness.

“We don’t get as many chances to train with the Air Force, so integrating withthe 305th RQS in the air and on the ground has been beneficial to our trainingsaid the Special Forces captain.

The time spent at MacDill is crucial for the aircrews to get up to date with thetraining qualifications and provides the additional benefit of an unfamiliar environment.

“We don’t really get a chance to do a lot of water work in Tucson,we’re here to get water certification and train in an unfamiliar areaprepare for deployments,” said U.S. Air Force Reserve 1st Lt. Scott Lauth,RQS HH-60 Pave Hawk co-pilot. “You need to be able to be ready at all times forwhat needs to be done, but if you’re going to get a bit better you haconsistently. That’s the only way to improve.”

With a Joint Force exercise involving several units across the Department of

MacDill supports joint force exercise

Aircrew prepare to unload an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter assigned to the 305th Rescue Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., from a C-5 Super Galaxy assigned to the 512th Airlift Wing, Dover Air Force Base, Del., at MacDill Air Force Base Nov. 6. The helicopters and support equipment were delivered to MacDill as part ofan upcoming exercise.

See EXERCISE, Page 15


ark and over Tampah provide a hand in honing their respective

so integrating withthe 305th RQS in the air and on the ground has been beneficial to our training,”

The time spent at MacDill is crucial for the aircrews to get up to date with thetraining qualifications and provides the additional benefit of an unfamiliar envi-

Tucson, [Arizona], sounfamiliar area to help better

Scott Lauth, a 305thou need to be able to be ready at all times for

but if you’re going to get a bit better you have to be doing it

orce exercise involving several units across the Department of

om a C-5 Super Galaxy as-ed to MacDill as part of

U.S. Air Force Airmen upload an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter assigned to the305th Rescue Squadron (RQS), Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., onto aC-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 436th Airlift Wing (AW), Dover Air ForceBase, Dela., at MacDill Air Force Base Nov. 20. The 436th AW supported the de-parture of the 305th RQS following a Joint Force deployment exercise.

An HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter assigned to the305th Rescue Squadron (RQS), Davis-Monthan AirForce Base, Ariz., flies above the waters of TampaBay Nov. 8. MacDill Air Force Base hosted the 305thRQS for a joint force readiness exercise.

Air Mobility Command and U.S. Air Force Reserve Airmen upload an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter assigned to the 305th RescueSquadron (RQS), Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., onto a C-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 445th Airlift Wing (AW), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio., at MacDill Air Force Base Nov. 20. The 445th AW supported the departure of the 305th RQS followinga Joint Force deployment exercise with U.S. Army Special Forces member.

See EXERCISE, Page 15


21st Space Wing Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS)—According to theThrift Savings Plan website, all TSP participants must have validatedcontact information and use two-step authentication to log in to the TSPMy Account beginning in December.

“It’s a security measure,” said Vic Villarreal, 21st Force Support Squad-ron personal financial readiness leader. “In today’s world of high-tech andhackers, it’s another layer of security and protection against fraud. It’s inline with what other financial agencies do.”

The traditional login method, with a member’s username/account num-ber and password, is enhanced by adding a one-time verification codemembers receive through email and/or text message each time the ac-count is accessed. Someone who tries to fraudulently log in to an accountwon’t be able to gain access without the username/account number, thepassword and the one-time code.

Account holders who want to learn more about what they can do withTSP accounts can now find a series of educational and informational vid-eos on YouTube under the TSP4gov account. These videos provide an in-depth look into retirement investment planning and answer questionsthat TSP investors care about the most.

The video page contains episodes for new employees, seasoned inves-tors, military personnel and civil service employees. There are TSP we-

binars, ‘learn how to manage’ TSP accounts, investment options and par-ticipant testimonials — more than 60 videos and growing. The materialis created by TSP experts and is free to all who are interested in growingtheir knowledge of the TSP investment program.

“Although these are tools for people to utilize at home,” Villareal says,“we encourage people to come in and ask questions to get individual an-swers, and that’s for everyone, to include DoD (Department of Defense)civilians — not just junior Airmen or people in financial trouble.”

Also, annual TSP contribution limits will increase to $19,500 startingin January 2020. The annual “Catch-Up” contribution limit, which allowspeople over the age of 50 to invest a little more and catch up with thosewho started investing earlier in life, is rising to $6,500 as well. The 2019limits for TSP contribution and “Catch-Up” contributions, set by the In-ternal Revenue Service, were $19,000 and $6,000 respectively in 2019, soboth have gone up by $500. Contributors are reminded to carefully calcu-late their contribution over the course of the calendar year. In the eventcontributions are maxed out prior to the end of the calendar year, agencymatching contributions for remaining pay periods will be affected.

“Let’s say in October, you’ve met the $19,500 annual limit, and youwere getting 5percent matching contributions,” Villareal said. “For thepay periods in November and December, you would not be able to con-tribute any more. Therefore, you would not be receiving any additionalmatching funds.”

Changes to Thrift Savings Plan coming in DecemberNEWS/FEATURES


Games in Tampa, showcas-ing over 300 athletes com-peting in 14 events to thelocal community and world-wide audience.

In addition to the AF-OUA, the 6th ARW’s execu-tion of the rapid global mo-bility mission has garneredmany awards, to includethree Department of De-fense, nine Air Force and 11major command awards, aswell as the Omaha TrophyAward, presented by U.S.Strategic Command.

Members assigned to thewing during the award pe-riod are authorized to wearthe AFOUA ribbon or ap-propriate cluster. Civilianemployees are authorized towear the AFOUA lapel pin.Eligible members should di-rect questions to their ser-vicing commander supportstaff or military personnel

flight for award update pro-cedures.

The 6th ARW is orga-nized into five groups: op-erations, maintenance, mis-sion support, medical, andthe wing staff. Team Mac-Dill includes 28 associateunits from all branches ofservice to include U.S. Cen-tral Command, U.S. SpecialOperations Command and

the 927th Air RefuelingWing. The presence of thesetwo unified commands andother mission teammatescreates a unique multi-ser-vice community at MacDill,with all branches of servicerepresented. So, althoughMacDill is an Air ForceBase, it is also home to ma-ny soldiers, sailors, Marinesand coast guardsman.

AWARDFrom Page 2


men to come forward with innovative ideas, andfind ways to capture and implement those ideas,”said Snelson. “Your Airmen will remember whenyou approach them with optimism and enthusi-asm. Education and travel programs recruit Air-men, but good leaders retain them.”

For cadets with the 158th CW, having the op-portunity to hear from Air Force leaders is anotherway to gain insight into the Air Force and the rolesin which they will be serving.

“Speaking with successful Airmen passes thetorch of wisdom and ultimately makes the transi-tion into active roles in the Air Force more fluid,”said Steven Reyes, a USF senior and ROTC cadetwith the 158th CW.

According to Reyes, learning how to lead othersand prioritizing responsibilities are just a coupleof the difficulties that ROTC cadets face - but byleaning on each other, the senior class with the 158th has been able to overcome those ob-stacles.

“The senior class is composed of 22 cadets and we are a tight group, and many of us havebecome close friends,” said Reyes. “Providing critical feedback to others is difficult, but itis a necessary skill to develop, because it will be our duty to provide this type of counsel toAirmen and our peers, as future officers.”

The final piece of advice Snelson gave to the cadets with the 158th CW was to strive forexcellence in every aspect of their progression.

“Don’t ever say I’m just a second lieutenant, because actually, you are a first lieutenantin training,” said Snelson. “Always push yourself to the next level and think about what’srequired to be at the next level, but not at the expense of the people around you.”

Photo by Airman 1st Class Shannon Bowman

The Air Force ROTC at USF is an ed-ucational program designed to givemen and women the opportunity tobecome Air Force officers while com-pleting a degree.

ROTCFrom Page 3



COMMUNITYEVENTSWednesdaySurf’s Edge ClubMembership Breakfast from 6:30-9 a.m. All American breakfast fea-turing an omelet station and more.Great place for a staff meeting. Formore info call 840-2020.

ThursdaySurf’s Edge ClubNewcomers Information Fair from11 a.m. - noon. Are you new to Mac-Dill? Come to the information fair,open to all active duty, civiliansand spouses of all branches sta-tioned at MacDill AFB. For moreinfo call 828-0145.

December 1-31Youth soccer registration. Openfor ages 5-12. Specific documentsrequired for registration (registra-tion is not complete until all formsare on file) for full details and pric-ing, call Youth Sports at 828-7956or visit: https://tinyurl.com/uz-p8ukj

Mark your calendar• Dec. 6 - MacWonderland WinterFestival & Tree Lighting from 5-9p.m. Face painting, snowflakes,skating rink, visits/photographswith Santa & Mrs. Claus, live rein-deer, free holiday snacks and bev-erages (outside) DJ, kids crafting,games, sponsor booths and more.Holiday dinner buffet (inside). Formore info, visit: https://tinyurl.com/qqw7ac5• Dec. 12 - Trees for Troops• Dec. 13 - Santa Fun Run• Dec. 14 - UFC Fight Night #245• Dec. 15 - Golf Club Member Ap-preciation Day

Notice: New lunchtime hours atthe Diner’s Reef Dining Facility:beginning Sunday, Dec. 1, lunchwill be available from 11 a.m.-1:30p.m. For info, call the Dining Facil-ity at 828 4998/2412.

www.macdillfss.com

Protestant serviceSunday - 11 a.m. - combined worship

6 p.m. Thrive (contemporary worship)

Islamic serviceFriday - 1:30 p.m. Prayer

Catholic MassSaturday - 5:30 p.m. - Mass

Sunday - 9:30 a.m. - Mass

Monday-Thursday - 12:10 p.m.

(Blessed Sacrament Room)

For all other faith groups or for any questions, please contact the Chapel by visitinghttp://www.macdill.af.mil/macdillchapel or calling 828-3621

CHAPEL SCHEDULE

Former AF chief visitsRetired Chief Master Sgt. Gerald Murray, the 14th Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force, speaks to first-termAirmen course 19K, at MacDill Air Force Base Nov. 19. Murray, whose first duty station was MacDill in 1978,opened the floor for questions with the new Airmen.

Be sure to visit the official 6th Air RefuelingWingwebsite atwww.macdill.af.mil

Photo by Senior Airman Adam R. Shanks


Defense comes meticulous planning to ensure every aspect of the trainingday runs smoothly.

“There’s a huge mobility piece that many of our squad had to figureout,” said Lauth. “From getting the aircraft here and unloaded and main-tenance making sure that they’re ready for every flight, every day. It’s ahuge workload just to make sure that all those things come together inharmony.”

With a mission of providing unmatched installation and mission sup-

port, MacDill is proud to be a host for outside units.“It’s been awesome that we’re so close to the water and we can get out

almost every day, MacDill and the area has just been really accommodat-ing to us being able to go out and complete our training, come back and goout multiple times a day,” said Lauth. “It’s been great training and I lookforward to doing it in the future if we get the chance.”

It takes a lot of heavy lifting to host a wide range of missions, but TeamMacDill ensures the best quality support anytime, anywhere.

EXERCISEFrom Page 8

“Federal employees can make a pledge online via the centralized giv-ing platform,” Rodriguez said. “Donors can choose a payroll deduction ora one-time or recurring monthly pledge via a credit card, debit card, ordirect bank transfer.”

For the next four years, donors also have the option of completing a pa-per pledge card. Paper pledge donors can be made via payroll deduction orcheck. Federal employees are also invited to broaden the impact of theirgift by pledging volunteer hours to participating charities in addition tomonetary donations.

Federal retirees are invited to continue to support the charitable causesthey care about by giving through the CFC with a one-time contributioni.e., cash, check, or credit card or recurring pledges through their annuity.

In 2018, contributions through the CFC help people all across the worldand generated $93 million for thousands of participating local, national,

and international charities.“It is important for service members and government employees from

Team MacDill to donate to CFC in order to ‘Show Some Love’ to a multi-tude of non-profit organizations that provide health and human servicebenefits throughout the world,” said Capt. Yoshiki Revell, 6th ARW CFCrepresentative.

The CFC is the world’s largest and most successful annual workplacecharity campaign, with 36 CFC zones throughout the country and over-seas raising millions of dollars each year. Since the campaign’s inceptionin 1961, generous federal employees have donated more than $8.3 billionthrough the CFC. Pledges made by federal civilian, postal and military do-nors during the campaign season support eligible nonprofit organizationsthat provide health and human service benefits throughout the world.

To participate in the Sunshine CFC, visit https://sunshinecfc.org/

CFCFrom Page 3


Documents

MacDillhostsreadinessexercise6u u Thursday,November28,2019 u MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT byStaffSgt.JordynFetter AFWERXPublicAffairs AUSTIN, Texas (AFNS)—From July through Nov. 18 …