6Th AMW Supports Bold Quest - Page 8
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Vol. 47, No. 16 Thursday,April 18, 2019 News/Features: page 3 Last Doolittle Raider honored News/Features: page 3 Cyclone Idai relief Week in photos: page 4 Images from the week News/Features: page 5 Charleston Caribbean aid 6th AMW supports Bold Quest - page 8 Photo by Airman 1st Class Frank Rohrig U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Randal Greene, a 6th Logistics Readiness Squadron air freight technician, assists a cargo loader in backing up at MacDill Air Force Base April 8. The Airman loaded cargo aiding members from the 290th Joint Com- Community: page 15 munications Support Squadron, who departed to Finland for exercise Bold Quest, an exercise where military and civilian Events, Chapel, more... members, developers and analysts work in a cooperative network with partner nations, finding technical and procedural solutions to improve coalition warfighting interoperability. NEWS/FEATURES 18th AF commander talks readiness and squadron vitality by Maj. Ryan DeCamp Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson last “We must overcome those challenges and re- 18th Air Force Public Affairs fall, called for increasing operational squadrons main ready now and in the future. Here at 18th by more than 20 percent and adding another AF, we have begun to see the effects of how se- When Maj. Gen. Sam Barrett took the reins airlift squadron and 14 tanker squadrons by nior leaders addressed manpower concerns.The of 18th Air Force last summer, he outlined full- 2030. Air Force added about 10,000 active-duty Air- spectrum readiness and squadron vitality as The goal is to build well-manned and healthy men the last three years, and the recent bud- two focus areas for the command. squadrons to bring out the best in each Airman, get should fund another 4,700 Airmen, many of “Full-spectrum readiness highlights the need helping each find innovative ways to accomplish whom will support the RGM mission. to be ready for anything,” Barrett said. “Our the mission. “This budget invests in key areas—Airmen, Air Force has been engaged in steady-state op- The two priorities—full-spectrum readiness readiness, nuclear deterrence, and air superior- erations since the early 1990s. However, defend- and squadron vitality—help create healthy ity, among others. It funds additional KC-46 air- ing America in the future may involve threats squadrons and are equally important, according craft and more research into technologies that such as advanced air defenses, cyber warfare, to Barrett. help our operational mission down the road.” or chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear “We provide Rapid Global Mobility (RGM) Barrett looks forward to continue bringing effects, so we need to prepare for a wide range around the world, and we can best do that when KC-46s into the fold, as McConnell Air Force of possibilities.We are refining our tactics based our readiness levels are high,” he said. “The Base, Kansas, received the service’s first Pega- on what we’ve seen in the Middle East and on healthier squadrons are, the higher readiness sus January 25. what near-peer adversaries may bring to the levels will be. Plus, healthy squadrons help sup- “In 2018, the Mobility team refueled over table.” port families when loved ones are called away 103,000 aircraft,” he continued. “To put that in He said squadron vitality allows Airmen to from home. This provides peace of mind for Air- perspective, that is enough to have provided focus on the mission, support their teammates, men, allowing them to focus on the mission and fuel to every serviceable aircraft on the planet and have fun in the process, which creates a give our collective team the best opportunity for nearly four times.The KC-46 will help us con- cohesive team that meets challenges head on. success.The demand for global mobility takes tinue fueling joint and international partners. That atmosphere subsequently supports mili- us to every continent on earth. We need healthy, The steps we’re taking will ensure we remain tary families and improves retention. prepared squadrons, but we don’t want to over- the greatest Air Force on earth while helping “We are adding Airmen to help meet mission work our teams.” Airmen gain balance in their lives.” needs and support our squadrons,” he contin- Senior leaders are addressing concerns about Additionally, Barrett encouraged every Air- ued.“We have roughly 321,000 active-duty Air- how overworked teams affect families—again, man to make safety a priority. men today and expect to grow to 350,000 by the in line with the ‘Air Force We Need’ plan to in- “The RGM team launches an aircraft every middle of the next decade.” crease the number of operational squadrons and 2.8 minutes. Airmen make that possible, and The ‘Air Force We Need’ plan, as outlined by the number of Airmen. See 18TH, Page 12 For information about base operations during emergencies or natural disasters, call the Straight Talk Line at 828-4163 COMMANDER’S ACTION LINE MacDill on the web Website: www.macdill.af.mil The Action Line provides two-way communication between the Facebook: www.facebook.com/ 6th Air Mobility Wing commander and the MacDill community. Per- sonnel may submit questions, concerns or comments via email to MacDillAirForceBase [email protected] or Facebook @6thAirMobilityWing- Instagram: macdill_afb CommandTeam Twitter: @macdill_afb MacDill Thunderbolt U.S. government, the Department of Defense, the Department factor of the purchaser, user, or patron. of the Air Force or the 6th Air Mobility Wing. News items for the MacDill Thunderbolt can be submitted Publisher: Joe DeLuca The appearance of advertising in this publication, including to the 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs office, 8208 Hangar inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by Loop Dr., suite 14, MacDill AFB, FL 33621. Call the Thunderbolt Editor: Nick Stubbs the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force, at 828-2215. Email: [email protected]. 6th Air Mobility Wing or the TImes Publishing Company of the Deadline for article submissions is noon, Wednesdays to The MacDill Thunderbolt is published by the Times Publish- products or service advertised. appear in the next week’s publication. Articles received after ing Company, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. For retail advertising, call (813) 226-3318. deadline may be considered for future use. All submissions are Air Force. This commercial enterprise newspaper is an autho- Everything advertised in this publication shall be made considered for publication based on news value and timeliness. rized publication for distribution to members of the U.S. mili- available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to Every article and photograph is edited for accuracy, clar- tary services on MacDill. Contents of the MacDill Thunderbolt race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, ity, brevity, conformance with the “Associated Press Stylebook are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by the physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit and Libel Manual” and Air Force Instruction 35-101. 2 u WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM u Thursday, April 18, 2019 u MACDILL THUNDERBOLT NEWS/FEATURES Memorial for final WWII Doolittle Raider today Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RAN- DOLPH, Texas (AFNS)—A memorial service to celebrate the life of retired Lt. Col. Richard “Dick” E. Cole will be held at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, today at 3 p.m. in Hangar 41. The final surviving member of the famed Doolittle Tokyo Raiders of World War II, Cole passed away in San Antonio April 9 at the age of 103. Cole was the copilot for then-Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle in a B-25 Mitchell bomber during the surprise mission on April 18, 1942, by the U.S. Army Air Forces to strike the Japanese Home Islands.The strike was in retaliation for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and bolstered American morale in the early months of World War II. The memorial also marks the anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. Air Force senior leaders, family and friends are expected to attend. Ar- lington National Cemetery, Virginia, will be U.S. Air Force graphic by 2nd Lt. Robert Guest Cole’s final resting place. At the memorial service, hundreds of Airmen Retired Col. Robert “Dick” Cole was a B-25 Mitchell bomber copilot and survivor of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo during WWII. Cole, who was the final surviving Doolittle Raider, passed away April 9 See DOOLITTLE, Page 12 in San Antonio at the age of 103. Mobility forces support Cyclone Idai relief efforts by Tech. Sgt. James Hodgman 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.—Two C-17 Globemaster III crews assigned to the 21st Airlift Squadron from Travis Air Force Base ar- rived in Djibouti April 5 to aid Cyclone Idai re- lief efforts. The cyclone was a Category 2 storm that hit the port city of Beira, Mozambique, March 15 with winds at speeds up to 110 mph. The storm, which is the worst to hit Mozambique in three decades, killed more than 800 people. It left sev- eral villages submerged in water before moving inland to Zimbabwe and Malawi. “A lot of bad things happen on the planet- -war, disease famine, natural disaster…but we are all citizens of the world, we care and we Photo by Staff Sgt. Corban Lundborg are there to help,” said Lt. Col. Steven Nolan, U.S. Airmen assigned to the 435th Contingency Response Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, 21st AS director of operations.“When disas- supporting Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), set up a forward operating ter strikes, no matter where it is, the United location at Beira Airport, Mozambique, April 2, for the U.S.