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Vol. 47, No. 40 Thursday, October 3, 2019 News/Features: page 3 Lessons in resiliency News/Features: page 3 MG’19 testing Airmen Week in photos: page 4 Images from the week News/Features: page 6 MG ‘19 forging relationships Now the 6th Air Refueling Wing- page 2 Photo by Airman 1st Class Ryan C. Grossklag U.S. Air Force Col. Stephen Snelson, the 6th Air Refueling Wing (ARW) commander, speaks at the 6th ARW redesignation Community: page 15 ceremony at MacDill Air Force Base Sept. 30. As of Oct. 1, MacDill’s host wing will transition from the 6th Air Mobility Wing Events, Chapel, more... to the 6th ARW, maintaining its dedication to delivering unmatched air refueling. NEWS/FEATURES 6th Air Refueling Wing redesignation by Airman 1st Class Ryan C. Grossklag 6th Air Refueling Wing Team MacDill held a redesignation ceremony commencing the transition of the 6th Air Mobility Wing to the 6th Air Refueling Wing Monday. The new designation became official Tuesday. The event, held at the community park, marks the host wing’s first redesignation since the 6th AMW moved to MacDill Air Force Base from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska in 1993. The change comes with the departure of MacDill’s C-37A Gulfstream jets and the deactivation of the historic 310th Airlift Squadron. “With the deactivation of the 310th, our wing’s sole air operations mis- sion is once again, air refueling,” said Col. Stephen Snelson, the 6th ARW commander, speaking to the attending crowd. “Our name may be new, but our mission is still delivering unmatched air refueling, and installation and mission support.” Snelson spoke of the history of MacDill and the wings that have come and gone over the years, but assured the crowd that the presiding focus remained the same. “We will remain the Air Force’s best air refueling wing,” said Snelson. “But more importantly our exceptional Airmen also remain the same. They are what matters and what defines this wing, not a sign at the front gate or what planes are on our ramp.” Honored guests in attendance included Florida’s 14th Congressional Representative, Kathy Castor, as well as the City of Tampa Mayor, Jane Castor, who both delivered speeches thanking all those who came to recog- nize the wing’s transition. “I give my word in my position as mayor that I will do everything in my power to ensure that this base has everything that it needs and we con- Photo by Airman 1st Class Ryan C. Grossklag tinue to have the best relationship that a base and community can have U.S. Air Force Col. Travis Edwards, the 6th Operations Group command- anywhere in the world,” said Castor. er, and Lt. Col. Daniel Lindley, the 310th Airlift Squadron (AS), salute dur- The ceremony concluded with Castor proclaiming Monday, Sept. 30, ing the retiring of the 310th AS at MacDill Air Force Base Sept. 30. MacDill 2019 as “6th Air Refueling Wing Day” in Tampa, expressing gratitude for was the home of the 310th AS since 2001 but its history dates back to the service of the men and women of Team MacDill. 1943 when it constituted as the 310th Troop Carrier Squadron. 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 Refueling Wing commander and the MacDill community. Per- sonnel may submit questions, concerns or comments via email to MacDillAirForceBase [email protected] or Facebook @6thARWCommandTeam Instagram: macdill_afb 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, October 3, 2019 u MACDILL THUNDERBOLT NEWS/FEATURES Leaders Inspiring for tomorrow at LIFTx 2019 by Senior Airman Scott Warner 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright described resiliency as “the ability to recover from, or adjust easily, to misfortune or change.” MacDill based its second annual Leaders In- spiring for Tomorrow (LIFTx) seminar, held Sept. 23, around resiliency to continue growing this skill in its Airmen. “This summit is not a conference, but a con- versation sparked by five storytellers whose ideas and actions have transformed their lives, their organizations, their industries and even the world,” said Capt. Courtney A. Cronin, MacDill’s LIFTx lead project officer.“These people who combine passion, creativity, intelligence and dis- cipline to get things done in new and meaningful Photo by Senior Airman Scott Warner ways can inspire our base personnel to deepen U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Susan Smith speaks about overcoming bone cancer at the Leaders Inspiring their own commitment to personal, spiritual and for Tomorrow seminar at MacDill Air Force Base Sept. 23. David Villa, Lt. Col. Susan Smith, Kristen professional leadership while enhancing their Cristy and a retired U.S. Air Force security police K-9 handler, Morgan Watt, with his service dog, own resiliency.” Foley, spoke about real challenges military personnel face from overcoming adversity on the front- See SEMINAR, Page 14 lines of a battlefield, to living with post-traumatic stress disorder and to conquering cancer. OCTs train, assess mobility Airmen throughout MG19 by Senior Airman Kristine M. Gruwell 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash.— Air Mobility Command has dedicated the ma- jority of September 2019 bringing together Air- men from across the globe for Exercise Mobility Guardian, the command’s largest mobility exer- cise. Nearly 30 Airmen from the 34th Combat Training Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, augmented a team of about 100 ob- servers, coaches and trainers from different units to share their knowledge during the exercise deliberately developing Airmen to become joint- minded mobility leaders for the future Air Force. “Exercises like this are going to provide a re- alistic environment for the service to get a true look at their capabilities,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Thomas Joyner, 34th CTS commander.“If we are going to invest in exercises like this, we have to make sure we prioritize where we need Photo by Senior Airman Kristine M. Gruwell to improve and revamp for future training with A staff sergeant from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, onloads a piece of aerospace ground equip- our joint and international partners in order to ment onto a C-130J at Mobility Guardian 2019 at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, Sept. 23. execute tomorrows fight.” Mobility Airmen had the opportunity to operate and train in a simulated, contested environment See MG19, Page 13 where Airmen could train and develop as joint-minded mobility leaders. MACDILL THUNDERBOLT u Thursday, October 3, 2019 u WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM u 3 WEEK IN PHOTOS Photo by Tech. Sgt. Larry E. Reid Jr. A C-130J Super Hercules aircrew member, boards the aircraft during exercise Mobility Guardian 2019 at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., Sept. 18. Through robust and relevant training, Mobility Guardian improves the readiness and capabilities of mobility Airmen to deliver rapid global mobility and builds a more lethal and ready Air Force. Photo by Senior Airman Christian Conrad Photo by Tech. Sgt. John Winn A KC-10 Extender from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., parks on the base’s A B-1B Lancer assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base, flightline Sept. 13. The KC-10 participated in the 2019 iteration of exercise South Dakota, conducts air refueling operations with a KC-135R assigned Mobility Guardian, Air Mobility Command’s largest exercise designed to to the Utah Air National Guard’s 151st Air Refueling Wing, Sept. 30, over build and test the Mobility Air Force’s readiness to compete and win in central Utah. The Utah Air National Guard’s KC-135R fleet is capable of contested operations against near-peer adversaries as outlined by the refueling a variety of fighters, bombers and heavy cargo aircraft in the Air National Defense Strategy.