Vol. 40, No. 24 Thursday, June 14, 2012

Photo by Senior Airman Melissa Paradise

This display of safety equipment represents just some of the ways to ensure a safe Critical Days of Summer. The objective of the Air Force Criti-cal Days of Summer Campaign 2012 is to call attention to the tragic loss and/or injury of Airmen during the summertime and to make Airmen realize safety is personal for them, their families, friends and co-workers.

Critical Days of Summer safety are here - page 12

COMMANDER’S CORNER

MacDill ThunderboltPublisher: Terry Jamerson

Editor: Nick Stubbs

The MacDill Thunderbolt is published by Sunbelt News-papers, Inc., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force. This commercial enterprise newspaper is an authorized publication for distribution to members of the U.S. military services on MacDill. Contents of the MacDill Thunderbolt are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by the U.S. government, the Department of De-

fense, the Department of the Air Force or the 6th Air Mobil-ity Wing.

The appearance of advertising in this publication, in-cluding inserts or supplements, does not constitute en-dorsement by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force, 6th Air Mobility Wing or Sunbelt Newspa-pers, Inc., of the products or service advertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-mer-it factor of the purchaser, user, or patron.

Display advertising or classified advertising information

may be obtained by calling 259-7455. News items for the MacDill Thunderbolt can be submit-

ted to the 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs office, Bldg. 25, MacDill AFB, FL 33621, or call the MacDill Thunderbolt staff at 828-2215. Email: thunderbolt@MacDill.af.mil.

Deadline for article submissions is noon, Thursdays to appear in the next week’s publication. Articles received af-ter deadline may be considered for future use. All submis-sions are considered for publication based on news value and timeliness.

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

COMMANDER’S ACTION LINEThe Action Line provides a two-way communication between the 6th Air

Mobility Wing commander and the MacDill community. A 24-hour recording service is provided so personnel may submit questions, concerns or com-ments. Call the Action Line at 828-INFO (4636) or email macdillwingcom-mander@us.af.mil

by Col. Lenny Richoux6th Air Mobility Wing commander

I wanted to take a moment to recognize the 20th anniversary of Air Mobility Command, the 6th Air Mobility Wing’s major com-mand.

As recognized by the U.S. Con-gress recently, AMC was created June 1, 1992, as the Air Force’s functional command for cargo and passenger delivery, air refueling, and aeromedical evacuation. We ensure the Air Force’s core func-tions of global vigilance, power, and reach are fulfilled. The ability of the United States to rapidly re-spond to humanitarian disasters and the outbreak of hostilities anywhere in the world truly de-fines the United States as a global power.

Mobility Air Forces Airmen are unified by one single purpose: to answer the call of others so they may prevail. Since its inception, Air Mobility Command has pro-vided forces for 43 humanitarian relief efforts at home and abroad, from New Orleans, La., to Bam,

Iran. A Mobility Air Forces aircraft

departs every two minutes, 365 days a year. Since Sept. 11, 2001, Mobility Air Forces aircraft have flown 18.9 million passengers, 6.8 million tons of cargo, and offloaded 2.2 billion pounds of fuel. Many of these flights have assisted combat aircraft protecting United States forces from overhead.

The United States keeps its solemn promise to its men and women in uniform with Air Mo-bility Command, accomplishing 186,940 patient movements since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. More than 134,000 ac-tive-duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, and Department of Defense civilians make up AMC.

The 6th Air Mobility Wing is one of many AMC Wings positioned globally. As the ninth commander of the 6th Air Mobility Wing, I am proud of the 2,700 Airmen and 600 civilians who comprise our Wing at MacDill. Every day you make us the finest Air Mobility Wing on the face of the planet.

I would like to highlight Staff

Sgt. Justin Casey from the 6th Maintenance Group. Casey orga-nized more than 70 volunteers for 2012 SportsFest in St. Petersburg, Fla. More than 200 local compa-nies participated in the event.

Another high performing Air-man is the Unit Deployment Man-ager at the 6th Medical Group, Tech. Sgt. Heidi Torres-Curry. In the last 11 months, Torres-Curry processed 50 medics to nine geographical locations with a 94

percent fill rate. In addition, she devised innovative ways to com-municate with members down-range through social networking venues, which enabled daily inter-actions with 6th MDG staff and families.

It’s you Airmen that enable the mission to continue whether at home or abroad; Air Mobility Com-mand and MacDill AFB are better because of your dedication.

Thank you for your service!

Reflecting on the important role of AMC; some team standouts

Photo courtesy Tampa Tribune/Jim Reed

Col. Lenny Richoux at a Tampa speaking engagement.

Your T-bolt TodayNews/Features: page 4 It’s hot; be safe

Health/Fitness: page 6

Fitness Month a hit

News/Features: page 8

Road work slated

ENLISTED W

AY

SOCOM MEMORIAL

BAYSHORE BLVD

TUSKEGEE CT

CHEVRON PARK DR.

BROWN PELICAN AVE

ZEMKE AVE

WAY

HANGAR LOOP D

RIVE

PINK FLAMINGO AVE

CENTCOM AVE

TAM

PA P

OIN

T BL

VD

SOUTH BOUNDARY BLVDWIDENING

Rev. Date: 21 May 2012

Roadway Widening

HILLSBOROUGH LOOP D

R

Roadway Widening

NEWS/FEATURES

News/Features: page 4

Airmen receive soccer honor

Community: page 21

Events, chapel, more

News/Features: page 12

Critical Days of Summer here

by Col. AJ DomenichiniAerospace Medicine Squadron commander

That is the age-old question that is resur-facing with the recent outbreak of pertussis (“whooping cough”) in Hillsborough County, which is primarily due to inadequate immunity of the local population. That immunity could be corrected through vaccination. Of course, if you are active duty, the point is mute. The pre-cedence has been set.

What about your non-active duty family members? There’s some discretion in this area. In the state of Florida, as in all states, there are laws requiring school-aged children to be vaccinated. Children enrolled in public or private campus-based activities are required to have all age- appropriate vaccines. This in-cludes children attending preschools, licensed childcare facilities and even the Florida Virtual Schools program. The only exemptions are for medical issues and religious objections. For home-schooled children, vaccinations are op-tional.

Why the controversy surrounding vaccines? There has been a concern about the potential side effects of vaccination; but in the past that was overridden by the fear of the disease it-self. For example, when the polio vaccine first became available in 1955, families lined up to participate in the first trials, unaware of the potential side effects. Everyone knew someone who suffered from this devastating disease. Parents would not allow kids to go swimming for fear of contracting polio. People were so terrified of polio they were willing to try any-thing. Now that the fear of the disease has waned, the attention is shifting to the safety of the vaccines.

Why vaccinate at all? In the United States, many diseases including polio, diphtheria and measles are becoming rare, largely because we have vaccinated against them. However, the viral and bacterial agents that cause these diseases are still in our environment. It’s like bailing out a boat with a slow leak. Once the boat gets filled with water, if we bail hard enough, we can nearly dry out the boat. But, if we throw away the bucket and relax, the water would start seeping in again. Before you know it, we’re back where we started. Unless we

can stop the leak by eliminating the disease, it is important to keep immunizing. Of interest, we have eliminated smallpox from the world population and we no longer need to immunize the general population. However, because this plague has been weaponized, military person-nel are still immunized.

If vaccinations stop, diseases nearly eradi-cated would stage a comeback. In the early 1970s, Japan had a very successful pertussis vaccination program. In 1974, there were only 393 cases of the disease in the entire country. By 1976, fear over the vaccine spread among the population and Japanese parents stopped having children immunized. In that year, more than 13,000 cases of whooping cough occurred, and 41 Japanese infants died from the disease. Re-education of the population and establish-ment of an extensive vaccination campaign reversed this epidemic.

What about the controversy about vaccines that cause autism? A few years ago, a Brit-ish doctor, Andrew Wakefield, observed that of the 12 children he was treating for a bowel disorder, six were also autistic. Those six had all received the Measles Mumps and Rubella

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate

See COMMENTARY, Page 19

Col. AJ Domenichini

Commentary

Slow Down Speed is involved in about one out of three

fatal crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

It’s the third leading contributing factor to traffic crashes. But while injuries and fatali-ties due to other dangerous behaviors, such as driving while impaired and not wearing seatbelts, have been significantly reduced; however, speeding is still a challenge.

Speed limits are determined to be the fast-est a person should drive in perfect condi-tions (clear skies, flow of traffic, road condi-tion, distractions, etc). When road conditions and situations are not perfect, drivers must exercise more caution and reduce their speed to an appropriate level for their experience and the vehicle’s capabilities.

Critical Days of Summer

NEWS/FEATURES

by Nick StubbsThunderbolt editor

“The heat was hot,” read a famous opening line of a story once entered in a bad writing contest.

The inane and redundant nature of the sentence aside, it neverthe-less sums up what we’ve been experiencing of late around Tampa Bay. So what is it that makes the heat hot? Three things, according to the team at the 6th Aerospace Medicine Squadron’s Bio Environmental En-gineering Flight.

Ambient temperature, radiant temperature and humidity are the three elements tracked through the bio team’s Wet Bulb Globe Tempera-ture monitoring program, under way now that we have entered that part of the year when heat stress dangers become a reality.

“It (the heat danger) is starting to rise now that we’ve hit June,” said Staff Sgt. Derek Johnson, a bio environmental engineer craftsman. “It’s been rising steadily.”

The heat conditions are monitored with an instrument set outside the bio office on a tripod. It is always in direct sunlight, to ensure the radi-ant heat from the sun can be measured. That number, along with the air temperature and humidity are combined to determine a heat index number. That all-important number is what is used to inform the base

It’s time to take heat seriously

The current heat index charts with recommended hydration, work and rest cycles. The top chart applies to those acclimated to the heat, the lower chart for those still adjusting to a new climate.

by Airman 1st Class Michael Ellis6th Air Mobility Wing public affairs

Two MacDill Airmen were awarded the role of honorary captains during the first game of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team 2014 World Cup qualifier, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, June 8.

With more than 23,000 in attendance, Staff Sgt. Dieudonne Batawila and Senior Airman Eduardo Flores, both from the 6th Logistics Readiness Squadron, presented their squadron coin at centerfield to be used in the coin toss.

Prior to the match, U.S. Nationals team mem-bers Michael Bradley and Terrence Boyd came to MacDill to personally invite Batawila and Flores as honorary captains, present them with custom-made U.S. Men’s National Team jersey with their names on back and give them extra tickets so their family members and friends could attend.

Both Batawila and Flores play on their squad-ron’s soccer team.

MacDill Airmen: honorary captains at USMNT World Cup

Photo by Staff Sgt. Linzi Joseph

Staff Sgt. Dieudonne Batawila, 6th Logistics Readiness Squadron material management jour-neyman, and Senior Airman Eduardo Flores, 6th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle opera-tor, pose with Terrence Boyd and Michael Bradley, United States Men’s National Soccer Team members, at MacDill Air Force Base, June 7. Batawila and Flores received team jerseys, game tickets, and were selected as honorary captains of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team for the first game of the World Cup qualifier. See SCOCER, Page 19

See HEAT, Page 19

Photo by Staff Sgt. Ericka Endara

The last participants standing after six hours of nonstop Zumba.

by Staff Sgt. Ricardo Rivera6th Force Support Squadron

The numbers are in, and with more than 500 participants May Fit-ness Month was a huge success at the MacDill Short Fitness and Sports Center.

Kicking off the month was a walking and running incentive, in which more than 70 people tracked their steps for 31 days. Some participants walked more than half a million steps in just one month. That was fol-lowed with the popular 5-K run - with more than 200 runners.

The fitness center also hosted a six-hour Aerobathon composed of six different aerobic fitness classes including: spinning, body sculpt, step, boot camp, agility, and Zumba. The next event was the cardio challenge. Participants pushed their cardio to the limit with this three-stage event, taking on the elliptical, treadmill, and spin bike for 20 minutes each. Next was the annual bench press competition. Each competitor performed a bench press lift with as much weight as they could push up.

The month of events wrapped up with the Zumba party - a popular event for many. More than 140 people took the challenge of this dynam-ic aerobic workout. The Zumba party was a six-hour, nonstop event, and some participants burned up to 3,000 calories.

In addition, fitness assessments were offered throughout the month, teaching participants how to determine and improve current fitness levels. The fitness center staff members gave their all to stage pro-grams that would motivate and benefit all military, civilians, Depart-ment of Defense employees, and their families.

The fitness center staff hopes everybody who participated left with more knowledge about fitness and tips for living a longer, healthier life. This year’s May Fitness Month was perhaps best summed up by a quote from Edward Stanley:

“Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or

More than 500 join Fitness Month eventsHEALTH/FITNESS

ENLISTED W

AY

SOCOM MEMORIAL

BAYSHORE BLVD

TUSKEGEE CT

CHEVRON PARK DR.

BROWN PELICAN AVE

ZEMKE AVE

WAY

HANGAR LOOP D

RIVE

PINK FLAMINGO AVE

CENTCOM AVE

TAM

PA

PO

INT

BLV

D

SOUTH BOUNDARY BLVDWIDENING

Rev. Date: 21 May 2012

Roadway Widening

HILLSBOROUGH LO

OP DR

Roadway WideningCourtesy of the 6th Civil Engineer Squadron

The widening from Zemke Avenue to Hillsborough Loop is scheduled to start June 18. The 6th Civil Engineer Squadron has a contract to widen South Boundary Boulevard to improve the traffic flow. The construction will improve the merging of afternoon traf-fic at Hillsborough Loop Drive and Hangar Loop Drive and left turn move-ments from South Boundary Boulevard onto Zemke Avenue.

Every effort will be made to mini-mize the impact on the morning and afternoon high volume traffic flow. Short duration temporary partial lane closures will be required. Use caution when travelling along the construction site for your safety and the safety of the construction crew.

South Boundary Boulevard widening project to begin

by Tech. Sgt. Richard Golen6th Civil Engineer Squadron fire protection

Kitchen Clutter: Forty one percent of home fires start in the kitchen. Paper towels, pot holders, and recipe cards are all items sit-ting next to stove top burners, ready to ignite. Keep a 3-foot area between combustible ma-terials and stove top burners. And of course, never leave cooking unattended.

Clothes Dryer: Even if you dutifully empty lint trays every time when drying clothes, the lint material can still build up inside the dryer cabinet, which also holds the heating element. If enough lint material builds up a fire can start inside a dryer. To minimize the risk, hire a professional to clean the dryer cabinet every two years. Also, don’t forget to clean the dryer vent hoses, it can bend and kink and collect lint material as well.

NEWS/FEATURESPotential hazards in the home: kitchen clutter

by Nick StubbsThunderbolt editor

The powerful mind bender known as Bath

Salts may be available in some states and on-line, but any Airman worth his or her salt should know this dangerous substance is off limits un-der Air Force rules.

Bath Salts, which is not to be confused with Epsom Salts or other substances added to bath water, more than qualify as a banned intoxicat-ing substance, according to 6th Security Forces Squadron Det. Edward Garcia. It has been ille-gal in Florida for about a year.

The substance made headlines recently when a man in south Florida reportedly under its in-fluence ate the face off a homeless man before being shot and killed by police. It goes without saying, said Garcia, that any substance that could drive someone to those extremes in be-havior falls under the unified Air Force policy (Air Force Instruction 44-121) banning any sub-stance that alters mood or causes a “high” other

than alcohol or tobacco.“It’s very bad stuff,” said Garcia regarding Bath

Salts, noting the substance also made headlines not long ago when it was the contributing cause of a young local man’s drowning death.

Like many new, unregulated intoxicants that turn up periodically and are sold legally until banned, Bath Salts were available in Florida stores prior to being banned in May 2011. The Air Force policy implemented in 2010 was de-signed to close the door on the issue of what can and can’t be used or possessed by Airmen, mak-ing Bath Salts off limits even before the state ban, said Garcia. The bottom line is that noth-ing that gets you high in any way (alcohol and tobacco excluded) is permitted, which makes it easy for Airmen, said Garcia.

That Bath Salts, so powerful it can cause us-ers to behave like wild animals, should be con-sidered off limits would seem obvious, Garcia said, but “it doesn’t hurt” to remind everyone of the broad AF instruction when specific new sub-stances appear in the headlines.

Use, possession of ‘Bath Salts’ forbidden

Photo by Senior Airman Melissa Paradise

The average person loses about 90 ounces of water daily - more when participating in vigorous activity. Remember to stay hydrated during the Critical Days of Summer by drinking no less than eight glasses of water a day.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Linzi Joseph

Tabitha, 5, daughter of Airman 1st Class Robert Waggoner, 6th Air Mo-bility Wing Public Affairs broadcaster, holds a sparkler while her father supervises to ensure safety at MacDill Air Force Base. Children under 12 should only use fireworks with close adult supervision.

Photo by Airman 1st Class Melanie Bulow-Kelly

A school of sting rays swim along the Tampa coastline, June 4. Stingrays spend most of their time buried in the sand and commonly go unseen to beach-goers. (Inset photo) A foot injured by a stingray barb shows noticeable swelling and redness compared to the other.

Summer safety: It’s personal

Photo by Staff Sgt. Linzi Joseph

Tabitha, 5, daughter of Airman 1st Class Robert Waggoner, 6th Air Mo-bility Wing Public Affairs broadcaster, holds a sparkler while her father supervises to ensure safety at MacDill Air Force Base. Children under 12 should only use fireworks with close adult supervision.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Brandon Shapiro

Improper use of lighter fluid when grilling can lead to personal injury and property damage. Staff Sgt. Linzi Joseph, 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs photographer, demonstrates a grill-ing hazard.

Photo by Airman 1st Class Melanie Bulow-Kelly

A school of sting rays swim along the Tampa coastline, June 4. Stingrays spend most of their time buried in the sand and commonly go unseen to beach-goers. (Inset photo) A foot injured by a stingray barb shows noticeable swelling and redness compared to the other.

Photo by Airman David Tracy

Senior Airman Christopher Chambers, 6th Maintenance Squadron metals technician, stretches before playing soccer, at MacDill Air Force Base, June 7. It is important to properly warm up prior to participating in high intensity activities.

Job Title: Installation entry controller

Hometown: Lakeland, Fla.

Short-term goals: I strive to be as efficient and pro-ductive at my job, as I possibly can. I would also like to finish my Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice before next summer.

Long-term goals: When I complete my enlistment, I will finish my degree in teaching and become a teacher for students with learning disabilities.

Advice to others: Always be “at the ready.”

Role model and why: My mother; she has overcome serious setbacks in her life. My father is a role model, as well, because he instilled a hard work ethic in me and constantly sets the example for others to follow.

Airman 1st Class Jennifer Foerman 6th Security Forces Squadron

DIAMOND SHARP

Bayshore Gate new hours Bayshore Gate new hours are 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Toastmasters available on MacDillAre you afraid of public speaking or looking for personal

career development? Toastmasters International is designed to teach public speaking and leadership skills. Visit one of the meetings at 11:30 a.m. Thursdays at CENTCOM (must have access) or the MacDill Chapel. For more information, email Ashley Vargas at of_08@hotmail.com.

Chapel youth programs startingBeginning in June, the MacDill Chapel will offer youth

ministry programs specifically for middle and high school students. The “Club Beyond” meeting will be held Tuesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Chapel Annex 2. The “Deeper” pro-gram is held Thursdays from 6 to 7 p.m. in Chapel Annex 2. Contact Shea Voslar at 482-7875 for more information.

Boy Scout opportunitiesMacDill Boy Scout Troop 56 is looking for Eagle Scouts

or individuals interested in helping with the Boy Scouting program on base to serve as leaders, merit badge counselors or guest speakers. Interested individuals can contact Eric Sanders at 299-5689, or Paul Wiegman at 220-9772 for more information. The Troop meets at building 1064 behind the commissary off Great Egret Avenue Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.

DCC is seeking an E-5 to E-6 The Davis Conference Center has an opening for a staff

sergeant to technical sergeant. Any Air Force Specialty Code (5- or 7-skill level) may apply for the position, with a report date of July 15. Applicants are expected to remain in this position for one year. Individuals must obtain their unit com-mander’s approved release.

To apply, contact Kevin Thompson at 828-6601 or ernest.thompson@us.af.mil.

BRIEFS

by Staff Sgt. Shawn Rhodes927th Air Refueling Wing

The last time he fired a rifle was in basic training. So, when Senior Airman Robert Dougherty felt the recoil of the unfamiliar M-4 carbine rifle and the acrid smoke of gunpowder filled his nostrils, his thoughts turned to making it home so he could teach his three children how to ride their bikes.

Thanks to the new Air Force Rifle/Carbine Qualification Course, the aerospace ground equipment technician’s chances of surviving a fire-fight just went up. In a newly enacted policy which stunned its sis-ter services, the Air Force had the idea that every Airman required to qualify with a rifle should be an urban combat rifleman.

Not only that, but all Airmen - even reservists - required to qualify must complete the most in-depth basic firearms training course in the entire U.S. military.

“The Air Force introduced this new training in Aug. 2011,” said Tech. Sgt. Jason Knepper, 927th Security Forces Squadron combat arms non-commissioned officer in charge. Knepper’s job is to give reservists like Dougherty the skills they need to survive combat during a deployment. It’s a job he takes seriously. “Across the board, this new course is a huge leap forward for combat operations, which is why we were the first unit in the Air Force Reserve Command to implement it.”

The new course, which also is used by the 6th Air Mobility Wing, represents a complete overhaul of the previous M-16 Air Force Qualifi-cation Course, which focused on long-range accuracy and suffered a 25 percent failure rate among students here. The old course was in use in one form or another since 1962 when the M-16 was introduced into the United States military’s arsenal.

“The majority of combat we see overseas is urban and closer than 300 meters, so we have to train for that,” said Knepper. “This new course is

11 hours long and we’ve doubled the amount of rounds we use for each student. Surprisingly, we only have about a 3 percent failure rate.”

Knepper attributes the increased success rate of the new course to the focus the students are required to have - it’s a lot different than lay-

Photo by Staff Sgt. Shawn Rhodes

Tech. Sgt. Michael Coates, an aircraft engine mechanic with the 927th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, takes a break during his course of fire to adjust the sights on his M-4 Carbine. The new Air Force Rifle/Carbine Qualification Course gives all Airmen the opportunity to learn how to survive urban combat situations.

Advanced rifle course for AirmenNew qualification course geared for urban combat

NEWS/FEATURES

See RIFLE, Page 20

vaccine. This was merely an observation and not a scientific study, but Wakefield published his findings in a prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet, and it received a lot of media attention. Extensive research by the American Academy of Pediatrics has shown the MMR vaccine does not cause autism, but this is a hard myth to erase.

Vaccines reduce the incidence of infectious diseases in the popula-tion that would otherwise harm many infants, children and adults and reduce the spread of disease from one individual to another. These diseases have many social and economic costs including lost days from school and work, as well as a rise in doctor’s visits, hospitalizations and premature death. Medical and scientific evidence demonstrates the benefits of preventing suffering and death from infectious diseases far outweigh the rare adverse effects of immunization.

As parents, what should we do? The best thing to do is to stay in-formed. One can get information on all aspects of all vaccines from the Centers for Disease Control website, a doctor’s office or the 6th Medical Group Immunizations clinic at 827-5372.

COMMENTARYFrom Page 3

population of how to safely work or exercise during the day.There are two index charts, one for acclimated and one for those unac-

climated to the local conditions. The latter is important, as many new Airmen not used to the Florida heat need to be particularly cautious, said Johnson.

Both charts use the same scale, but the work/rest schedules differ for those adjusted to the heat and those who are still acclimating.

In either case, the three best tips the bio team can give Airmen working outdoors at MacDill, said Johnson, is to “hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate.”

That advice is followed with adhering to the cycles of work and rest, based on the intensity of the work, rated from “easy,” to “moderate,” fol-lowed by “hard,” each providing guidelines supervisors use to work and rest their teams.

Batawila, who grew up in West Africa, always aspired to play soccer professionally one day, but pursued a military career after consulting with his mother.

“My mother would always tell me that soccer is a gamble and I needed to do something that would guarantee a bright future and focus on edu-cation,” said Batawila.

Even while actively serving in the military, Batawila has advanced in soccer locally.

“I put together the squadron team and this is now our fourth season,” said Batawila. “We even won the Coalition War Cup (a tournament spon-sored by the coalition forces on MacDill) in 2010.”

Batawilla has also played on MacDill’s division three “MacDill United” team and played two seasons in the Florida Suncoast Soccer League divi-sion one “Tampa Bay International FC” team.

Batawila and Flores were supposed to practice with U.S. National team members the day prior to the game, but Mother Nature brought rain that cancelled the practice. Despite the setback, the U.S. Nationals managed a 3-1 victory over Antigua & Barbuda.

SOCCERFrom Page 4

HEATFrom Page 4

ing prone and taking shots at a single target. The new course engages the Airman’s muscle memory with searches for multiple targets and requires them to recognize when a target is a threat. Modern urban combat shows that civilians are side-by-side with combatants and Airmen need to know how to tell the dif-ference and still quickly eliminate the enemy.

“You will fight like you train,” said Tech. Sgt. Christopher Cratty, lead instructor for the 927th Combat Arms section. “Some Airmen used to come in every two or three years to qualify with their weapon, but with this new course they qualify before every deployment.”

The new course of fire focuses on commu-nication while firing, movement, multiple tar-get engagement, tactical use of cover and even includes transition drills to train Airmen to easily switch from firing with the rifle to the M-9 pistol holstered on their thighs.

“When military members are put in harms’ way, this course drastically improves their ability to defend themselves,” Knepper said.

Dougherty’s family is thankful for that.

RIFLEFrom Page 18

Hard driving!NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick speaks with Airman from the 91st Air Refueling Squadron during a media event at MacDill Air Force Base, June 12. Harvick met and signed auto-graphs for members of team MacDill.

Photo by Airman 1st Class Melanie Bulow-Kelly

MACDILL COMMUNITYEVENTS

FridayMacDill Lanes

Night out on MacDill! Dol-lar drafts, $2 Pizza Slices & free billiards from 4 p.m.- Midnight. Prime Time Cosmic Bowling 6 p.m. - midnight. Only $3 a game.

Seascapes Beach HouseTaste of Italy & the Sounds

of Sinatra from 4:30 p.m. - close. Dinner Special $8.99 includes a fountain drink. Kids meals avail-able for $2.99. Club members save up to $2 off.

SaturdayMacDill Lanes

Father’s Day Special – Dad bowls free with paid child’s bowl-ing (limit three games). Reserve a lane call 828-4005.

Base LibraryGaming @ the Library; Single

Airmen Gaming from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Playstation, Wii, & X-Box gaming equipment and games provided. You may bring a guest; they MUST be 18 or older.

SundayBay Palms Golf Complex

Father’s Day Special – 18 holes of golf with a cart plus your choice of a salad or sandwich with a fountain soda or draft beer • Golf Course Member Dad: $15 Non-Member Military Dad: $25 • Guest Dad: $30 • Accompany-ing spouse: $35 guest / $25 non-member military / $20 member of golf course • Accompanying child (8-16): $10. Call 840-6904 to make your Tee Time today.

Tuesday-SundayBase Pool

Open for recreational swim-ming from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Protestant servicesSunday - 11 a.m. - Contemporary Service Islamic servicesFriday - 1:30 p.m. - Muslim Prayer Service

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

Sunday - 9:30 a.m. - Mass

Call the chapel at 828-3621 for more information or visit the chapel web siteat http://www.macdill.af.mil/macdillchapel

Bang!(Left to right) 2nd Lt. Todd Bryan, Airman 1st Class Gerald Brown, Staff Sgt. Ricardo Rivera and 1st Lt. Brittany Clifton, from the 6th Force Support Squadron’s “Screaming Eagles” team, compete dur-ing the first 9mm squadron shooting competition on MacDill June 8. Finalist were: the 6th Opera-tions Support Squadron, placing third; the 91st Air Refueling Squadron, placing second; and the 310th Airlift Squadron, which placed first and was awarded a gift card.

CHAPEL SCHEDULE

Photo by Staff Sgt. Brandon Shapiro