Airmen Welcomed Home - Page 6 News/Features: Page 3 Joint Lightning

Vol. 47, No. 31 Thursday,August 1, 2019

Airmen welcomed home - page 6 News/Features: page 3 Joint Lightning

News/Features: page 3 Rapid Forge

Week in photos: page 4 Images from the week

News/Features: page 8 One and only rescue dog

Photo by Senior Airman Frank Rohrig U.S. Air Force Capt. Jeremiah Weakley, a pilot assigned to the 91st Air Refueling Squadron, poses with his wife and chil- Community: page 11 dren in front of a KC-135 Stratotanker after returning from a deployment, at MacDill Air Force Base July 22. The 6th Air Events, Chapel, more... Mobility Wing Airmen returned from a deployment to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.

MACDILL THUNDERBOLT u Thursday, August 1, 2019 u WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM u 1 NEWS/FEATURES The impact of missed medical appointments by Lt. Col. Kris Walker clinic have averaged a combined 706 missed appointments each month - 6th Medical Group this equates to lost availability for nearly two providers a day over that time period, exerts a strain on the system, and prolongs booking and wait- The 6th Medical Group strives to provide our beneficiaries with access ing time for other patients. to the timely, high-quality health care they deserve. In addition to conduct- While they may never be fully eliminated, there are many ways in which ing monthly staff training, we consistently review performance standards our beneficiaries can assist us in reducing the number of missed appointments: in an effort to identify gaps and ensure that patient needs are being met. 1. Ensure contact information stays updated in the Defense Enrollment However, as we work to improve our patients’ experience, one area contin- Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) – the automated appointment re- ues to present a challenge – reducing the number of missed appointments. minder system uses listed phone numbers to contact our patients in ad- The negative impacts of missed, or “no-show” appointments are numer- vance of an appointment. ous.They include, but are not limited to: 2. Sign up for TRICARE online at https://www.tricareonline.com – this 1. Reduced appointment availability – results in lengthier wait times for will enable you to both schedule and cancel most appointment types, as patients who need to be seen much sooner. well as send reminder notices to your mobile device. 2. Delays in medical care – prevents patients from receiving the treat- 3. If you are unable to make an appointment, contact the central ap- ment recommended by their provider; reduces continuity of care. pointment line at (813) 827-2273, as soon as you are aware but no less than 3. Adverse effects on mission readiness – delayed care can result in po- two hours prior, giving the clinic an opportunity to provide that time slot to tentially late identification and treatment of other health issues, hindering another patient. deployment readiness. The 6th Medical Group staff is dedicated to delivering the best health 4. Inefficient use of government resources – medical staff lose valuable care possible.With the help of our beneficiaries, together we can ensure time and must scramble to fill the vacant slot. convenient access to appointments, while improving provider continuity Over the past six months, the main treatment facility and Sabal Park and overall patient satisfaction.

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, August 1, 2019 u MACDILL THUNDERBOLT NEWS/FEATURES AFSOC leads Joint Lightning 2019 field training exercise at MacDill by Airman 1st Class Shannon Bowman 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

Establishing and supporting communications systems in forward operating locations is an important mission for Air Force Special Operations Command. To ensure mission readiness and the capabilities of Special Operations communications squadrons,AFSOC hosted the two-week Total Force Joint Lightning 2019 field training exercise at MacDill Air Force Base July 15. More than 200 active duty,Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Airmen from the 1st, 27th, 193rd, 280th and 919th SOCS, along with elements of the 290th Joint Communications Support Squadron, participated in the exercise, conducting integrated systems training. According to Senior Master Sgt. David Chase, 280th SOCS planning cell superintendent, the Airmen and NCOs are training to fulfill the AF- SOC mission. “The whole reason for the exercise is to get war fighters ready for going down range,” said Chase. Chase added that 50 tons of equipment was brought to MacDill to cre- Photo by Airman 1st Class Shannon Bowman ate a real-world experience for the exercise. U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Caleb Shumaker, Airman 1st Class An- “We are training Airmen to setup and maintain every piece of commu- dree Dixson and Airman 1st Class Andrew Knudsvig, 27th Special Opera- nications equipment we have including internet, voice and radio capabili- tions Communication Squadron, expeditionary cyber operations techni- ties,” said Chase.“We want to demonstrate that we can sustain a forward cians, test a satellite communications system at MacDill Air Force Base operation for as long as needed.” July 18. More than 200 Airmen from the 280th, 193rd, 919th, 1st and 27th See EXERCISE, Page 12 SOCS participated in the AFSOCs Total Force Training exercise. Operation Rapid Forge concludes

by Airman 1st Class Kyle Cope 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS)—Operation Rapid Forge concluded July 25 at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. The 10-day operation helped ensure U.S. forces’ ability to fulfill the Eu- ropean Deterrence Initiative, a policy to assure and defend NATO allies, while promoting deterrence in an increasingly complex security environment. Members of the 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, set up a mobile command and control facility in a simulat- ed austere environment. The 4th FW and the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah, used the C2 node throughout the operation for sorties as the U.S. forces practiced interoperability with NATO partners. “Rapid Forge is assuring our NATO partners,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Donn Yates, 4th FW commander.“Rapid Forge is developing interoperability between 4th and 5th generation aircraft, F-35A (Lightning II) and F- 15E (Strike Eagle) and it is also rapidly projecting airpower into the the- ater using amazing capabilities that we have and then being able to test and experiment with command and control, in accordance with a flexible Photo by Airman 1st Class Valerie Seelye mindset.” Capt. Joseph Walz, 421st Fighter Squadron F-35A Lightning II pilot, pre- The operation was a collaborative effort between European and U.S. pares to taxi during Operation Rapid Forge at Spangdahlem Air Base, Forces. Germany, July 18. The goal of the operation is to enhance interoperability “European forces from NATO member nations of Estonia, Latvia, Lithu- with NATO allies and partners to improve combined operational capabili- See RAPID FORGE, Page 10 ties.

MACDILL THUNDERBOLT u Thursday, August 1, 2019 u WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM u 3 WEEK IN PHOTOS

Photo by 2nd Lt. Samuel Eckholm A 1,000-foot wall of fire explodes below the F-22 Raptor during a high-speed pass maneuver at the “Mission Over Malmstrom” open house event in Great Falls, Mont., July 14. The pyrotechnics are used to simulate live ordnance and the air-to-ground capabilities of the Raptor. The two-day event featured performances by aerial demonstration teams, flyovers and static displays.

Photo by Sabrina Fine Photo by Yasuo Osakabe Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein presents the Air Education A C-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 374th Operations Group flies and Training Command guidon to Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, new command- over Yokota Air Base, Japan during Col. Barry King’s fini-flight, July 23. er of AETC, during a change of command ceremony July 26, at Joint For many aircrew, the fini-flight, or final flight, is a way to recognize and Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. Webb, a 1984 graduate of the U.S. honor fellow aviators for their dedication to the mission. Air Force Academy, is a command pilot with more than 3,700 flying hours, including 117 combat hours in Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia.

4 u WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM u Thursday, August 1, 2019 u MACDILL THUNDERBOLT Settlement of estate If anyone has any claims for or against the estate of Technical Sergeant Danny Davis, please contact Major Michael Werre, the Summary Courts officer, at 529- 9429, or by email at [email protected].

MACDILL THUNDERBOLT u Thursday, August 1, 2019 u WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM u 5 Team MacDill members get warm welcome home

Photos by Senior Airman Frank Rohrig

U.S. Air Force Capt. Scott Cronin, a pilot assigned to the 50th Air Refueling Squadron, poses with his wife, Courtney, and their child Julian, after returning from his deployment, at MacDill Air Force Base July 22. The 6th Air Mobility Wing Airman returned from a deployment to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.

6 u WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM u Thursday, August 1, 2019 u MACDILL THUNDERBOLT eam MacDill members get warm welcome home by Senior Airman Frank Rohrig

The 50th Air Refueling Squadron flag flies next to a KC-135 at MacDill Air Force Base July 22. Members and leaders of the 6th Air Mobility wing came out to show their support to family and friends of Airmen who completed their deployment at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Sieff, a Boom Operator with the U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brendan Smith, a boom opera- om his deployment, at 50th Air Refueling Squadron, embraces his wife, Ivy, after return- tor assigned to the 50th Air Refueling Squadron, embraces his ing from a deployment, at MacDill Air Force Base June 22. girlfriend Paola at MacDill Air Force Base after returning from deployment July 22.

MACDILL THUNDERBOLT u Thursday, August 1, 2019 u WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM u 7 NEWS/FEATURES Kentucky Air Guard home to DoD’s only search and rescue dog by Staff Sgt. Joshua Horton “It had been a couple days of wasted labor that 123rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs could’ve been used to help save other lives,” Par- sons continued. “It was at that time that we kind LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AFNS)—In 2010, Airmen of realized the importance and the capability from the Kentucky Air National Guard deployed that dogs can bring to search and rescue. Every to Port-au-Prince, the capital and most populous environment presents different difficulties, but city of Haiti, in response to a magnitude 7 earth- it’s all restricted by our human limitations. Our quake that impacted millions. current practice is hoping that we see or hear “With the destroyed airfields, it was difficult somebody.” for many government organizations to land air- In response to scenarios like the Haitian earth- craft and provide assistance,” said Master Sgt. quake, Parsons spearheaded a new approach, de- Rudy Parsons, a 123rd Special Tactics Squadron veloping the squadron’s search and rescue K-9 pararescueman. program. The effort, launched in 2018, is de- The Airmen were able to get on the ground signed to increase the capabilities of disaster re- and assist in clearing the airfield thanks to their sponse teams in locating and recovering person- special capabilities, but they soon faced more nel through the use of specially trained canines. complications. After several months of preparation, the unit “Local sources were telling people that there acquired its newest member, Callie, a 2-year-old was a schoolhouse that had collapsed with about Dutch shepherd, making her the first search and 40 children inside,” Parsons said. “A team of spe- rescue dog in the Department of Defense. She cial tactics Airmen went over and started looking has now earned multiple qualifications to accom- through the rubble, just carrying these rocks off, modate the specific skill sets of the 123rd STS, Photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Horton looking for these missing kids.Afew days into including helicopter exfiltration and infiltration, Master Sgt. Rudy Parsons, 123rd Special Tactics the search, (the Federal Emergency Management mountain rescue, rappelling —including on ice, Squadron pararescueman, and Callie, his search Agency) was finally able to land. They brought a snow and alpine maneuvers, static line and freef- and rescue K-9, participate in exercise Patriot dog to the pile and were able to clear it in about all parachute insertion. North, an annual domestic operations exercise at 20 minutes.There was nobody in that pile. See RESCUE DOG, Page 9 Fort McCoy, Wis., July 17.

8 u WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM u Thursday, August 1, 2019 u MACDILL THUNDERBOLT RESCUE DOG From Page 8 “Callie is trained in live find,” Parsons said. “She goes into wilderness, squadron, you’d have personnel switching over all of the time. Her working collapsed-structure or disaster situations. She’s trained to detect living life is anywhere from four to six years, so you could have multiple people go people, find them and alert me when she’s located them. We react accord- through and try to be her handler. In the Guard, we have people who are ingly, mark the spot and begin the extraction of those people. here for that whole time or longer.” “The unique function that we can provide by developing Callie is that we The experience level of Air National Guard Airmen also helps make it can get her to places that nobody else can get to,” Parsons added. “That’s more suited for innovations like this. the biggest benefit that we really saw value in. In the situation like the “The Guard and Reserve own 70% of the seven levels of total force spe- earthquake in Haiti, we can get her in there, and those days could be the cial tactics,” Grugel said. “The Guard is more likely to lean forward on new difference in somebody’s life.” innovations just because of the experience levels of its members.” Before Callie’s introduction to the unit, the method of search and rescue Looking to the future, Parsons hopes the SAR K-9 program will develop in urban settings involved probing and digging with drills and cameras.Ac- into a full-fledged military working dog program that can regularly deploy cording to Parsons, this slow, and sometimes unreliable, method only added with special tactics personnel recovery teams and global access teams. tools, weight and difficulty to the process. “We’re continuing just to develop her just so she can interact and func- “Our current method involves carrying around a bunch of extremely tion in every capability that the U.S. military could be in, and there could heavy equipment,” he said. “Callie weighs 50 pounds, and she gets herself be a need to save life,” Parsons said. around. She beats any type of equipment or machine with just her capabili- Beyond increasing the capabilities of the unit, Callie is an important ties, her nose and her intelligence. She’s just really good at her job.” teammate for members of the 123rd STS. According to Chief Master Sgt. Karl Grugel, the squadron’s chief enlisted “When she got here,one of the biggest things I wanted was for her to be manager, dogs are a “secondary requirement” for SAR on the civilian side. a teammate,” Parsons said. “She definitely does that. A lot of the guys think “Pararescue is the only DoD asset dedicated to search and rescue, which of her as family. Everybody looks forward to seeing her, and she looks for- is why Callie is such a mission-enhancing asset,” Grugel said. “Search and ward to seeing everybody else. rescue dogs have already been proven time and time again on the civilian “We have a very strong connection,” Parsons continued. “We spend 24/7 side.They have such an immense capability.When they do side-by-side together, and we’re always training together. I have to be consistent with testing, there’s nothing that even comes close to a canine.” her because she is a very beautiful dog,and I have to remember that she’s According to Parsons, the dog’s “stability and need to bond with her han- not a pet; she’s definitely a working dog.” dler” makes the Air National Guard uniquely suited to pioneer this initiative. The 123rd SAR K-9 program was funded by the Air National Guard in- “It makes sense that the Guard would establish this because it’s such an novation program meant to enable Airmen to make positive, meaningful intensive program,” Parsons said. “If you were to do this in an active duty change and drive a culture shift toward innovation.

MACDILL THUNDERBOLT u Thursday, August 1, 2019 u WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM u 9 RAPID FORGE From Page 3 ania and Poland participated alongside Airmen from U.S. Air Forces in Europe, F-15E Strike Eagles from the 4th FW and F-35A Lightning II from the 421st EFS,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Maxwell Cover, 421st EFS F- 35A pilot. A key part of Operation Rapid Forge was testing the U.S. Air Force’s ability to operate in an austere environment. “The U.S. Air Force had been looking to explore its ability to deploy a light and lean force to rapidly stand up a C2 facility anywhere in the world,”Yates said. “This ability prevents U.S. forces from being restricted to a fixed site, while demonstrating we are a credible and capable competi- tor with any adversary.” Operating this way has resulted in the concept of the multifunctional Air- man, an Airman who is trained to perform a variety of tasks, not just those within their specific specialty. Cover said the 421st EFS had a team of highly trained maintenance personnel at each training location for Operation Rapid Forge.Airmen were cross-trained into all the different F-35A maintenance functional areas. Instead of having seven to nine personnel to operate all the functional areas, two personnel can do all the F-35A servicing. The 4th FW also discovered the concept of the multifunctional Airman to be beneficial. Photo by Staff Sgt. Preston Cherry Yates said his base built their team towards the multifunctional Air- An F-15E Strike Eagle, assigned to the 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour John- man concept prior deploying to Operation Rapid Forge. He said for his son Air Force Base, N.C., taxis toward the runway at Spangdahlem Air team, the concept involved training Airmen to fuel jets, marshal aircraft, Base, Germany, July 18, during Operation Rapid Forge. Operation Rapid provide security and lead troops, among other skills. Forge aircraft deployed to bases in the territory of NATO allies in order to This concept makes expeditionary operations like Rapid Forge possible. enhance readiness and improve interoperability. The goal of the operation “The multifunctional Airman concept is key to operating in an austere is to enhance readiness in coordination with U.S. allies and partners in environment,” Cover said. “We want to minimize our footprint and change Europe. the calculus of where a potential adversary thinks we can operate.To do that, we are going to need to cut down the number of people we need to tions with a minimal footprint, while still maintaining the strength of our accomplish the mission and have more of a middleweight fighting force fighting force. that is highly capable.” The lessons and skills learned from Operation Rapid Forge resulted in The continued change in strategy and policy during Operation Rapid a successful operation. Forge was intended to strengthen the deterrence effect of U.S. forces. “We came here to accomplish three objectives,” Yates said. “Get the Cover said it is important the U.S. Air Force maintains a strategy that team here in a very quick timeline, establish our air expeditionary wing seeks a continuing advantage to deter aggression and assure NATO al- and achieve training, and get everyone home safe.We have accomplished lies. Operation Rapid Forge was built upon a strategy that allows the U.S. the first two objectives and are working on the third, so I consider Rapid to promote deterrence of possible aggressors by operating in remote loca- Forge to be a huge success.”

Be sure to visit the official 6th Air Mobility Wing website at www.macdill.af.mil

10 u WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM u Thursday, August 1, 2019 u MACDILL THUNDERBOLT COMMUNITY EVENTS Friday Surf’s Edge Club Membership Breakfast from 6:30-9 a.m. All American breakfast featuring an omelet station and more. It’s a great place for a staff meeting. Call 840-2020.

Family Fun Night: Dive-in Mov- ie Pool Party From 5-10 p.m. Families are in- vited to enjoy a free family movie: “Ralph Breaks the Internet” (PG) (8-10 p.m.), and a DJ at the base pool. Food trucks available for food and beverage purchases. For more information call 515-3704.

Saturday Free Back-to-School Info Fair At Hangar 1 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Backpacks and school sup- plies, bicycle safety rodeo, program information, school physicals/im- munizations info and scheduling. Job well done! Photo by Senior Airman Adam R. Shanks Register at https://www.eventbrite. U.S. Air Force Col. Stephen Snelson, 6th Air Mobility Wing commander, presents a Legion of Merit to Chief com/e/macdill-afb-back-to-school- Master Sgt. Sarah Sparks, 6th AMW command chief, during a commander’s call at MacDill Air Force Base resource-and-information-fair- July 26. Sparks received the award for her exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of out- tickets-47213792725 standing services from Jan. 8, 2018 to July 29, 2019 while command chief at MacDill.

Monday Bay Palms Golf Complex Summer Scrambles: Two-person CHAPEL SCHEDULE morning 18-hole scramble starting Protestant service Catholic Mass at 8 a.m. To register and for more Sunday -11 a.m. - combined worship Saturday -5:30 p.m. - Mass 6 p.m. Thrive (contemporary worship) information call 840 6904. Sunday - 9:30 a.m. - Mass Monday-Thursday - 12:10 p.m. Now – Aug. 31 Islamic service Kids bowl free program Friday - 1:30 p.m. Prayer (Blessed Sacrament Room) 1-6 p.m. Bowl two free games every day. Register at www.kids- For all other faith groups or for any questions, please contact the Chapel by visiting bowlfree.com. Subject to lane http://www.macdill.af.mil/macdillchapel or calling 828-3621 availability. For more information call 828-4005

Aug. 1-30 MacDill youth flag football and cheerleading registration will be held all month. Specific documents required for registration (registration is not complete until all forms are on file) Note: head Coach and assistant coach volunteers are needed. For full details, call Youth Sports at 828-7958 or visit https:// www.macdillfss.com/…/YS_Flag- Ftbll-Reg_1-30Aug19.pdf Be sure to visit the official 6th Air Mobility Wing website at www.macdill.af.mil

MACDILL THUNDERBOLT u Thursday, August 1, 2019 u WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM u 11 EXERCISE From Page 3 Like Chase, supervisors within other partici- pating units, agreed that performing Total Force exercises is imperative to carrying out AFSOC’s mission. “It is important to integrate tactical communications training,” said Staff Sgt. Sebastian Su- arez, AFSOC A6, NCO in charge of future operations.“We can monitor and evaluate each other to be certain that we can provide the personnel and equipment needed to support our forward operations.” For SOCS Airmen, it’s crucial to train like they fight and Total Force training is often im- plemented to keep them prepared. “Not only do these exercises allow us to fa- miliarize ourselves with our equipment, but we also become more familiar with personnel from other units who we will eventually deploy with.” said Capt. Bryant Williams, 280th SOCS J6 site commander. According to Chase, the high levels of interoperability, relationships, and shared training techniques have already made the operation a success.“We are fortunate to conduct this exer- Photo by Airman 1st Class Shannon Bowman cise at MacDill, and our teams have all worked U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeramiah Nicholson, a 193rd Special Operations Communication Squadron really well together.” radio frequency transmissions technician, sets up a tactical antenna system at MacDill Air Force Base July 18.

12 u WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM u Thursday, August 1, 2019 u MACDILL THUNDERBOLT