%URWKHUV LQ DUPV · is the military equivalent to the civilian sector’s special weapons and tactics teams. During the past year, he led 65 security and law enforcement experts and

Thursday, January 12, 2017

2 WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM Thursday, January 12, 2017 MACDILL THUNDERBOLT

LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. — There are moments in a person’s life that leave an impact so great their lives are changed forever.

For me, there are certain moments that will live with me forever be-cause they have defined me and helped me become the person I want to be. I have learned that life is precious and we have so much to be thank-ful for, even during the tougher moments. The hardest day of my life was three years ago, when my wife’s water broke during her second pregnan-cy — three months early.

To this day, I am still wrought with emotions over my son’s premature birth. The raw emotions I experienced were jarring. My wife and I were living overseas, without additional support from our extended families which contributed to my feeling scared, confused and hopeful. We were stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy, and because the base didn’t have the medical facilities we needed for such a premature birth, we had to rush my wife to an off-base hospital nearly two hours away.

Thankfully, we had outstanding medical care and the doctors were able to sustain my wife’s pregnancy an additional two weeks. On Dec. 2, 2013, our second son was born 13 weeks prior to his original due date, weighing just over a pound. Over the next several months, our son remained hospi-talized in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as he fought for his life.

We were finally able to hold our newborn son two weeks after he was born. To us, the simple act of holding our son became an anchor point in our lives and how we viewed the challenges we were facing. To have this tiny, delicate life, fighting for his every heart beat in my hands flooded me with an overwhelming sense of responsibility, reaffirming how pre-cious life really was. I literally felt my heart shift as I began to look at things differently. Much like silver being refined by the fire, I felt my heart being refined throughout this difficult trial.

When look back at that period, it was by far the hardest experience we went through as a family; but it also proved to be the best thing that could have happened to us. My wife and I grew closer in our faith and in

our relationship as a couple. We learned to appreciate one another and gained a better understanding of what was important to us.

It was also a time for us to have a greater appreciation for our older son, realizing the preciousness of life and that every second we had with

COMMANDER’S ACTION LINE

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

Website: www.macdill.af.mil

Facebook: www.facebook.com/

MacDillAirForceBase

Instagram: macdill_afb

Twitter: @macdill_afb

COMMENTARY

COMMENTARY, Page 14

MACDILL THUNDERBOLT Thursday, January 12, 2017 WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM 3

NEWS/FEATURES

The Air Mobility Command command chief master sergeant visited Airmen at MacDill Air Force Base Dec. 12 and 13.

During her two-day visit, Chief Master Sgt. Shelina Frey toured the base and learned about Team MacDill’s mission and the Airmen who ac-complish it every day.

Day one of her visit included stops at the 91st Air Refueling Squadron, the Air Traffic Control tower, the 6th Medical Group, Airfield Manage-ment, Command Post and the security forces Air-men at the Dale Mabry gate.

Frey also dined with 20 of MacDill’s NCOs, and spent time with Airmen attending the First Term Airman’s Course. Her visit also included a tour of the special operations communications Airmen at the Joint Communications Support Element.

During her visit with the Airmen, Frey shared her perspective while emphasizing a common theme.

“Our Air Force is great because of our people,” she said.

Along with speaking about Airmen and their importance to the mission, she touched on the

CHIEF, Page 12

Officer Jason Atkinson, from the 6th Security Forces Squadron (SFS), won the Air Force Se-curity Forces Flight Level Civilian of the Year award, Dec. 14, at MacDill Air Force Base.

Atkinson is the officer in charge of the Emer-gency Services Team with the 6th SFS. The EST is the military equivalent to the civilian sector’s special weapons and tactics teams.

During the past year, he led 65 security and law enforcement experts and helped secure more than 250,000 Team MacDill personnel.

“One thing I’m proud of is hosting MacDill’s annual tactical training competition,” said At-kinson. “We bring eight to 10 SWAT teams from the local area for an all-day training event on base and help raise money for police officers in need.”

Atkinson also has trained with the Depart-ment of Homeland Security and the FBI. He brought back the knowledge gained from the

AWARD, Page 13


WEEK IN PHOTOS



NEWS/FEATURES

CPR is a deep-rooted acronym in the medical field, but that hasn’t stopped the 6th Medical Group from adopting a different kind of “CPR.”

Communication, Professionalism and Respect (CPR) is the new corner-stone of the 6th Air Mobility Wing’s strategy for daily interactions between its Airmen, and the 6th Medical Group (MDG) extends that to its patients as well.

One method the 6th MDG uses to accomplish CPR is its twice-daily medical huddles.

Early in the morning, before a single patient arrives, the technicians meet with the physicians’ assistants, doctors, dentists, and other primary care managers (PCM). During this time, the team goes over appointments for the day to discuss concerns and plans of treatment. The huddles put the technicians on an equal playing field to have their voices heard with their patient care chiefly in mind.

“We definitely respect each other here regardless of rank or position,” said Staff Sgt. Angel Villa, an aerospace medical technician at the 6th MDG. “If we have a concern about something, anyone can speak up be-cause our priority is patient safety, and that we’re providing the best care.”

Primary care managers are limited in the amount of time that they have to spend with each patient due to the 220,000 beneficiaries covered by the 6th MDG.

The entire medical team works together to respect each patient’s time CPR, Page 12


On Oct. 21 the Department of Defense launched a new call and outreach center called the “BeThere” Peer Assis-tance Line, which offers confidential peer support to active duty service members, National Guardsmen, reservists and family members through 24/7 chat, phone and text.

The center is staffed by veteran service members and family members of veterans who aim to provide support for everyday problem-solving in career and general life chal-lenges.

Whether it’s stressors from deployments, frequent reloca-tions, or just everyday life, the “BeThere” professionals are trained to provide the support and assistance needed.

According to the “BeThere” website, the peer-to-peer pro-gram provides emotional support, problem-solving strate-gies, resources, referrals and works with callers in a crisis to stabilize the situation before taking appropriate action. All members who contact the outreach center will receive a follow-up to ensure appropriate services were provided.

The new program also allows a caller to choose the peer specialist they would like to speak with based on a number

SUPPORT, Page 13




JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — After the completion of runway repairs at MacDill Air Force Base, the last of its KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft temporarily oper-ating from here returned home Dec. 20.

The first of four steady-state KC-135s arrived at Joint Base Charleston on Oct. 14, along with near-ly 90 Airmen from MacDill to continue operations during the runway reconstruction at MacDill.

The KC-135 provides the core aerial refueling capability and is also capable of transporting lit-ter and ambulatory patients using patient sup-port pallets during aeromedical evacuations.

The visitors were warmly welcomed by the 437th and 315th Airlift Wings, because it pro-vided the opportunity to work with the MacDill tankers and perform various training missions.

“MacDill enabled us to accomplish over 288 currency events, ensuring we maintain our pro-ficiency in this critical skill,” said Col. Louis Hansen, 437th Operations Group commander. “Air refueling is a force multiplier, allowing U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Com-mand (AMC) to deliver forces and cargo any-where in the world non-stop.”

The temporary arrangement made for train-ing opportunities in the difficult task of schedul-ing and coordinating joint cargo and tanker op-erations. During the 64 days the 6th Air Mobility and 927th Air Refueling Wings spent here, they teamed up for 48 sorties in addition to their pri-mary mission.

“Joint Base Charleston met all of our op-erational needs and is an AMC base where the Airmen understand the mobility mission,” said Maj. Andrew Calhoun, 6th Operations Support

Squadron assistant operations officer. “An added bonus is that we routinely refuel C-17s and being co-located with our receivers gave us more oppor-tunities for training.”

Through planning and constant communica-tion, the teams were able to ensure all needs were met without impacting the other team’s mission. Leadership from both teams agreed they worked cooperatively to ensure the relocation was a posi-

tive experience for everyone.“This project required a total team effort,” said

Calhoun. “We couldn’t have pulled it off without the world-class support Joint Base Charleston showed us every day.

“Our runway closure and relocation team proved what we all know we have the most flex-ible, competent and skilled military men and women in the world.”

NEWS/FEATURES

The following article was published by FloridaBar.org, which stated that drivers should watch out for an email scam targeting Floridians.

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Ve-hicles, the email falsely states drivers owe money for red-light citations.

The scam asks victims for prompt payment to the Department of High-way Safety and Motor Vehicles via email to avoid extra fees. The emailed notice includes a hyperlink to a payment page and threatens recipients with recurring late fees and suspension of their driver’s licenses.

The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles first warned Floridians about the scam Dec. 20, after hearing reports of the fake cita-tions. The emails appear to come from “FL TrafficDiv” at the email ad-dress “[email protected].”

An example bogus email provided by the department was sent Dec. 16 and listed the citation amount as $78. It threatened a $50 late fee for “ev-ery three days until citation balance is fully paid.” It included a fake six-digit citation number and claimed the victim made an illegal right turn on a red light in Miami in November.

Department spokeswoman Beth Frady said the bogus emails include the department’s logo, making them look more legitimate. In reality, the department does not email citations, and online payments are not required.

“If they have received this email, they need to either ignore it, or if they have responded and were a victim, they need to go ahead and refute the charges with their financial institution as well as put fraud alerts on their accounts,” said Frady.

Those who receive the fake citations should contact the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles or local clerks of court.



impact of having a strong family base. “Taking care of yourself and your family is vital,” said Frey. “A solid

family, whether a traditional family or the Air Force family, can help you get through almost anything.”

At the end of each visit, Frey showed her appreciation for the highest performing Airmen from each team by coining them and thanking them for their service.

The final day of her visit included visits to MacDill’s marine patrol, the Military Personnel Section and numerous units throughout base. At each stop, Frey witnessed Team MacDill Airmen perform their daily jobs. She also explained to Airmen how their work impacts the broad-view of the Air Force.

“Whether you’re turning wrenches on the flightline, ensuring our Air-men have a nutritious meal at the dining facility or checking blood pres-sure at the clinic – you’re helping ensure Rapid Global Mobility for Amer-ica,” said the chief. “We put an AMC aircraft in the sky every 2.8 minutes because of the work you do each day.

“If you didn’t take care of that crew chief when he was sick and later ensure he had a nutritious meal – he wouldn’t be at his peak when per-

forming maintenance of our KC-135s. Those KC-135s then go on to fuel the fight against Da’esh.”

While visiting with the Airmen, Frey spoke about how the Air Force is impacted by every Airman, every day.

“Whether you leave the Air Force in four, six, 10, or 30 years, you will not leave here the same,” Frey said. “You will leave better, and you will leave the Air Force better than when you came in.”

To conclude the final day of the tour, Frey drove a marine patrol boat around the MacDill coastline. There she learned about the unique mis-sion of the Air Force’s only 24/7 marine patrol.

“As Marine Patrol, our job is to detect, deter and respond to waterborne threats,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Gonzalez, marine patrol crew leader assigned to the 6th Security Forces Squadron. “This is a 24-hour opera-tion and we maximize our time out on the water as much as possible.”

Although Frey had only a short amount of time with each group of Air-men, she recognized their service and sacrifice.

“Our Air Force is great because of our Airmen and their families,” said Frey. “I thank you and your families for your support, service and sacrifice.”

by covering many of the concerns behind the scenes. Though the patient may not see it, their concerns are brought to the attention of the PCM by the medical technicians, and special accommodations are made well in ad-vance.

This allows the technicians and PCMs to come across in a professional manner despite the high demand for their time.

“Professionalism is already held to a very high standard here,” said Se-nior Airman Giancarlo Chapparo, an aerospace medical technician at the 6th Medical Group. “The CPR term is new to us, but we’ve been doing it for a very long time.”

The 6th MDG’s dedication to communication, professionalism, and respect is making the adoption of the new definition of CPR quick and seamless.


courses and shared with members of the EST and the 6th SFS.“Training with the DHS, FBI and the local SWAT teams has opened

a huge network for us,” said Atkinson. “I can call any of them for advice, and our camaraderie is beneficial to making our team the best it can be.”

The award was given to Atkinson, but to him, it was a team effort.“This award is really a team effort; everyone on my team helped tre-

mendously,” said Atkinson. “If it wasn’t for my commander and opera-tions officer’s support, our team would not be as successful as it is.”

However, this isn’t the first time Atkinson has earned this award. In 2014, he had just established the EST at MacDill and built it from the ground up, winning him the honor for the first time.

“Officer Atkinson is an awesome leader for us,” said Airman 1st Class Christopher Spina, an entry controller and member of the EST assigned to the 6th SFS. “The fact that he has earned this award twice just proves how amazing he is as an officer and as an Airman.”

With another Air Force-level award to display, Atkinson said he will continue to push to make his team better.

“In this day of growing threats it’s crucial that my team is on the lead-ing edge of training and preparation,” said Atkinson. “If my team can confidently respond to a high-risk incident, then I know I’ve done my job.

“It truly is an honor working with these men and women every day, and I look forward to bringing home a team award this time next year.”

of qualities, including service experience, veteran or spouse, and male or female. In addition to providing peer support, the center also provides resources and a frequent-

ly asked questions section through its website to address issues that can effect service members and their families.

“We are honored to support our service members and their families as they get connect-ed to needed resources through the support of those who have also served our country,” said Wendy Lakso, the Defense Suicide Prevention Office’s director for outreach and education. “This new initiative recognizes the unique challenges faced within the military community, promotes awareness, reduces the stigma and provides solutions for breaking through barri-ers when it comes to seeking help.”

For more information, visit the “BeThere” website: http://www.betherepeersupport.com, or call 844-357-PEER (7337) or text 480-360-6188.

Note: for individuals seeking urgent assistance, contact the Military Crisis Line: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net, 1-800-273-8255 or text 838255.


Union Representation: Bargaining unit employees are reminded that under Section 7114(a)(2)(B) of Chapter 71, Title 5, U.S.C., employ-ees have the right to be represented at any examination in connection with an investigation if: a. The employee reasonably believes that the examination may result in disciplinary action against the employee, and b. The employee requests representation.

Grievance Procedures: All employees have the right to file a griev-

ance and request personal relief in any matter of concern relating to conditions of employment within the control of Air Force Management.

The negotiated grievance procedure for bargaining unit employees is contained in the applicable union agreement; AFI 36-706, Adminis-trative Grievance System, contains the grievance procedures for non-bargaining unit employees.

POC: Andrea Gaines 828-4511/[email protected].

him was a blessing. Family took on a new meaning to each of us. To be a father and husband was more than just a common title with overlooked responsibilities. I had a renewed purpose – a calling to love and support one another and those around us.

Thankfully, 61 days after he was born our son was ready to come home. I was still scared, still confused, but I was more hopeful than ever. I was confident that we were all leaving the hospital that day stronger, more appreciative and unified as a family than we had ever been before. Three years later, I can honestly say I wouldn’t be the husband or father I am today if it were not for what we experienced with our son. I see such

beauty in my wife and boys. The overwhelming emotions I experienced in the NICU still impact me today as I appreciate the moments I have each day with my family.

We are close to celebrating our son’s third birthday. I find it fitting that this whole experience took place during the Month of the Military Family. Through my family’s hardship and overcoming so many odds, I am more appreciative of the sacrifices countless families are making. My only encouragement would be to remember that life is truly precious, to-morrow is not promised and to make the most of every moment you have with your loved ones every day.

MacDill Air Force Base offers two locations to get taxes done for free. Services are provided for active duty, retirees, spouses and dependents with proof of a valid military identification card at either of these offices.The Retiree Activities Office (RAO)Location: On base between the commissary and the Base ExchangePhone: 828-0248Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (closed on holidays)

*Fridays are strictly active-duty tax days.Active duty members are given priority at the RAO. Services are provid-

ed on an appointment basis. However, walk-ins are welcome if there is open availability. Walk-ins will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis.

The RAO will open up the phone lines for scheduling Jan. 16, and will be scheduling appointments for Jan. 30 and later.Hillsborough Community College (HCC)Location: Off base at HCC, Room BSSB 201, Brandon.Phone: 813-546-6217 - Please leave a message.

Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. (closed on holidays)

The HCC tax center will start scheduling on Jan. 16 and tax preparation will begin Feb. 2. HCC welcomes walk-ins Tuesday through Thursday. Sat-urdays are appointments only. Calls will be returned within 24-hours. If no return call is received, please call again and leave another message. A map and the necessary paperwork will be emailed after an appointment is made.

In addition to the normal W-2, 1099, and other financial forms, clients will need to bring their 1095C Affordable Care Act paperwork. Personnel should receive this paperwork from DFAS, which can be downloaded from the same site the income forms are obtained from.Seeking volunteers

The HCC tax center is currently seeking volunteers for the 2017 tax sea-son.No tax experienced required. The center is seeking multiple greeters and a scheduler. The greeters will meet the clients, check them in, and keep the order for the reviews. The scheduler will need computer access with Excel and email skills. The scheduler will return phone calls, schedule cli-ents and send email confirmations. The hours are flexible and any day(s) of participation is/are welcome. Schedulers will work from home and greeters will be expected in person at HCC. If interested, please contact retired Col. Pete Ryner at 813-545-5807.

NEWS/FEATURES


COMMUNITY

MacDill Lanes & Family Fun CenterClub Membership Appreciation,

6-8 p.m. Door prize drawings; cos-mic lighting and sound. All Club members and their family members bowl free. Call 828-4005 for more information.

Base TheaterFree movie. “The Accountant”

(R) Doors open at 1:15 p.m. Movie starts at 2 p.m.

Base TheaterFree movie matinees. “Red Tails

“(PG-13) Movie starts at 1:30 p.m. “Birth of a Nation” (R) Movie starts at 4 p.m.

MacDill Lanes & Family Fun CenterLunch & Bowl from 11 a.m. - 1

p.m. $1 Games and $1 Shoes. Intro-ducing “Healthy Habits” Menu.

Call 828-4005.

Surf’s Edge ClubMLK Luncheon from 11 a.m. -

1:30 p.m. Club Members: free; fam-ily member: $11; everyone else: $12. Call 840-2020.

Arts & Crafts CenterFamily Time: Bird Feeders &

Houses class from 5-7 p.m. $12 for a feeder or house. Birds migrate south for winter, so that should bring them here to Florida. Ac-commodate your family’s new avi-an friends with either a feeder or house. This is a basic wood project and tools will be provided. If you’d like to personalize it, we’ve got cre-ative tools for that too. Call 828-4413.

Base TheaterFree movie. “Inferno” (PG-13)

Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Movie starts at 7 p.m.

www.macdillfss.com

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


Documents

%URWKHUV LQ DUPV · is the military equivalent to the civilian sector’s special weapons and tactics teams. During the past year, he led 65 security and law enforcement experts and