17
Vol. 39, No. 54 Friday, December 31, 2010 Looking back at 2010: July - December Part II of II

Looking back at 2010: July - December · Looking back at 2010: July - December Part II of II. ... book and Libel Manual” and Air Force Instruction 35-101. ... EOD team leader

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Vol. 39, No. 54 Friday, December 31, 2010

Looking back at 2010: July - December Part II of II

by Gen. Raymond E. Johns Jr.Commander, Air Mobility Command

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. — As we look forward to the upcoming New Year, it’s time to reflect on the year gone by. It’s been an incredibly busy one for Air Mobility Command. You have performed magnificently ... rising to meet the challenges head on to deliver hope, fuel the fight and save lives — I couldn’t be prouder of you!

The year started off with the President’s decision to move 30,000 more troops to Afghani-stan and soon after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti. Mobility Air Forces responded immediately to the crisis, just as you did this summer in support of Pakistani flood relief efforts.

In addition, we set airdrop re-cords in Afghanistan providing a crucial lifeline to our ground forces, while our tankers helped provide a canopy of protection over our troops, and aeromedi-cal evacuation crews brought our wounded warriors home.

Chief Spector and I look back

with admiration on the amazing work you’ve done and thank each and every member of our active duty, Guard, Reserve and civil-ian team for their hard work and sacrifices.

You are the reason we’re al-ways effective, and it’s critical that we continue to look out for one another during this holiday season. Please, take time to use sound risk management, espe-cially when driving.

Alcohol, excessive speed, and weather remain key contributors to accidents this time of year. So remain vigilant and have a plan beforehand and stick to it -- take extra time if needed. Remember that AMC’s Holiday Safety Cam-paign has many good tips and tools for you to use -- see your unit safety rep for details.

While we celebrate the holiday season with family and friends, please think about those who are deployed and can’t be with their loved ones this year. They are a long way from home protecting the freedoms we hold so dear with families eagerly awaiting their

return. Diana and I wish a safe return

for our deployed Airmen and wish

all of you and your families a very joyous holiday season and a Happy New Year!

COMMANDER’s CORNERAMC commander: Celebrate the holidays, reflect on a great year

MacDill ThunderboltPublisher: Denise Palmer

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 828-4586. Email: [email protected].

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 e-mail [email protected]

Photo courtesy of Air Mobility Command

Gen. Raymond E. Johns Jr. and his wife Diana, send holidays wishes to Mobility Airmen around the world. General Johns is the commander of Air Mobility Command.

Your T-bolt Today

2010 Review: page 10

AF Ball a hit

2010 Review: page 4 Looking back at 2010

2010 Review: page 4

Goodbye to a dear friend

2010 Review: page 10

Mercy mission

Holidays and the blues: Overcoming past and present holiday stresses

2010 IN REVIEW

by Lt. Col. Michael Husfelt627th Air Base Group

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (AFNS) — “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” isn’t just a familiar line of a classic Christmas song. Instead, the phrase resonates with our culture because November and De-cember offer times of splendor and recollection unlike any other time.

Things like trips to grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving, early morning shopping trips the next day to find those one-of-a-kind bargains, decorating our homes and offices to reflect the seasonal joy, and numerous oppor-tunities to connect at our places of worship all combine to make this particular time of the year the one which is filled with powerful memories and unwritten, and sometimes un-reachable, expectations.

So why the connection with concerns of stress and even suicide?

Obviously, that question is too deep for a brief commentary, but I do offer a few thoughts on how this joyous season sometimes stresses out even the jolliest among us, and why it is important to proactively work against the holi-day blues. So if you want to experience a joy-ous holiday season without all the unwanted stress, here are a few suggestions.

First, take control where you can, and de-velop a list of this year’s seasonal goals. Think about what you want to experience, accomplish and feel.

What will help you get there? If you want a simple “old-fashioned Christ-

mas,” because last year was just too artificial for you, then maybe decorating the house with every item on the market should be left for your neighbor. If you want to make it through the party season and still look good in your clothes, limit the amount of festive foods and work hard at maintaining your gym regimen.

The point is that you probably know what is most important to you about the holiday sea-son. So take the time to figure out the best way

to make what is most important to you a real-ity.

Second, temper your expectations. You don’t have to attend every Christmas party (or every special worship service for that matter) that you hear about. You don’t have to buy a gift for everyone you meet. Decorating your home with simple or loud seasonal symbols can be very uplifting, but you don’t have to use every plug in the house to make the season bright. Though competition with neighbors can be fun, I do think this is one area where it really shouldn’t be a competition.

Third, take charge of your money. Spending outside of your budget is another area which adds to the holiday stress. If budget is a dirty word to you, try using “spending plan” instead.

It may be a little too late to entirely imple-ment this year, but if you are still planning to buy more gifts and host more parties, develop-ing a reasonable and affordable spending plan can save you tons of stress. Develop a list and spending limit to help you feel more in con-trol and make wiser shopping decisions. The stress relief will continue over the next couple of months as the credit card bills come due and you actually have the money to pay them off.

Fourth, develop a spirit of grace for yourself and those around you. For instance, if your parents or other significant family members still bring up the time when you didn’t live up to their expectations, try not to repeat the same family argument again this year. This could be the perfect time to proactively engage and where appropriate confess your sins to one another.

Ask forgiveness, forgive if you need to, in-cluding forgiving yourself, encourage restora-tion and move on. If the offended party isn’t ready to forgive, you can’t control that, but you can control your attitude as they deal with their own. Don’t escalate the situation. Don’t debate. A simple, “I am really sorry you feel that way, but I hope you will learn to forgive

Commentary

2010 Review: page 10

Good fun

2010 Review: page 10

Bucs pay a visit

2010 Review: page 10

ORI exercise

NEWS: page 12

Holiday calendar

NEWS: page 16

MLK luncheon set

MacDill Community: page 17

Events, movies, more...See COMMENTARY, Page 16

2010 IN REVIEWby Nick StubbsThunderbolt editor

July marked the start of the first full month of summer and the start of new leadership of the 6th Air Mobility Wing, when Col. Lenny Richoux assumed command from Col. Larry Martin.

Colonel Richoux came to MacDill from his position as vice commander of the 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan. He dove into the job at MacDill with both feet, rapidly familiarizing himself with the wing and the many facets of MacDill Air Force Base.

July also marked the start of elbow room for one critical unit at MacDill. After years of desks crammed together and lack of storage, the 6th Engineer Squadron’s Explosive Ordinance Dis-posal team got a new home with a lot more space.

The grand opening of the unit’s new digs at the southern end of the base left members of the team not knowing how to act, joked Tech. Sgt. Brad Monco, EOD team leader.

“Before we sort of had all our desks crammed together,” he said. “Now we’ve got room, offices for our people, and we’re getting used to com-municating in a new way; before we just shout-ed across the room, but now we have to actually walk over to someone to talk to them.”

July also saw the start of the Comprehen-sive Airman Fitness initiative. A follow-up to The Year of the Air Force Family, CAF covers a range of focal points including suicide preven-

July through December of 2010; culled from the Thunderbolt headlines

See YEAR, Page 6

Photo by Staff Sgt. Tanika Belfield

Lt. Gen. Robert R. Allardice, 18th Air Force commander (left) hands the 6th Air Mobility Wing guidon to Col. Lenny J. Richoux during a change of command ceremony at MacDill Air Force Base, July 9. The guidon being passed to the individual assuming command is a symbolic trad-tion and a part of military history

Courtesy photo

(Left) Tony Horton, creator of the workout pro-gram P90X, leads Team MacDill during warm-up stretching Aug. 30. (Above) Bob Cutler, longtime friend of MacDill Air Force Base and a retired Army Air Corps member, passed away. He served as an honorary command chief of the 927th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Tanika Belfield

Team MacDill in the fightIn 2010, the 6th Air Mobility Wing:* Flew 1,130 missions* Transported 246 Distinguished Vistors* Served 1,873 other passengers* Moved 186 tons of cargo* Off-loaded 11.6 million lbs of gas to more than 1,600 receivers for in-flight refueling

2010 IN REVIEW

tion, relationship building, personal and fam-ily preparedness, Airman and family resiliency, and military child education. There are two cornerstones of the new initiative, first being the 5 Cs: connect, care, commit, communicate, and celebrate. The second is the 4 Pillars of Fit-ness — physical, social, mental, and spiritual fitness.

According to Gen. Raymond Johns, Air Mobil-ity Wing commander, “Comprehensive Airman Fitness reflects our commitment to developing a holistic approach to caring for our people that equips, enables and empowers everyone to grow more physically, socially, mentally, and spiritu-ally fit. It’s not another program, but rather, a means to enhance mission effectiveness by in-tentionally investing in one another.”

As July was coming to a close, a chapter in MacDill history came to a close, as well, with the passing of Bob Cutler, a longtime friend of MacDill and retired Army Air Corps member

and NCO in the Operations Squadron at Mac-Dill Field, before it was renamed MacDill Air Force Base. He headed the Tampa Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Council and worked with the Air Force Association chapter in Tam-pa, both of which work closely with MacDill. Mr. Cutler also served as an honorary command chief of the 927th Air Refueling Wing at Mac-Dill.

August was time for some summer fun, and there was plenty to go around when the AMC Idol competition was held on base. Staff Sgt. Aisha Smith, 6th Aerospace Medical Squad-ron, took top honors in the singing competition, which was judged by local celebrities Gordie from Wild 98.7, Charley Belcher from Fox 13, Navajo from Wild 98.7, and Sean King, former Tampa Bay Buccaneer player.

August also marked a full press for the CAF initiative, with funding distribution and programs to support Airmen and families an-

nounced. Supporting mental, physical and spir-itual health, a range of programs were sched-uled, and were opened to all servicemembers on MacDill, reflecting the unique nature of the multiple services and commands on base.

There also was a focus on preparation for the Operational Readiness Inspection. Aug. 24 through 26 marked an exercise geared to ready Airmen for the inspection, with the training including self-aid buddy care, unidentified ex-plosive ordnance recognition, equipment hard-ening, and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear training.

As August drew to a close, Tony Horton, cre-ator of workout program P90X, came to Mac-Dill, where he conducted a free strength train-ing workout for Team MacDill participants on the Short Fitness and Sports Center ball fields. Hundreds joined in to work out with the fitness celebrity.

yEARFrom Page 4

See YEAR, Page 8

2010 IN REVIEW

In September, drivers entering MacDill got introduced to the new Automated Installation Entry Control System scanners for quick scan-ning of ID cards for faster base entry for many of the 15,000 people who work at MacDill.

MacDill Air Force Base hosted the third an-nual RAW United Armed Forces Powerlifting Championships on Sept. 11. The event was open to active duty, reserve, National Guard, and military veterans, and featured more than 30 powerlifters age 10 to 72 competing in the squat, bench press and deadlift.

An Operational Readiness Exercise was held at Gulfport Command Readiness Training Cen-ter, Miss., Sept. 25. The 6th Air Mobility Wing and the 927th Air Refueling Wing participated in the exercise, which focused on security and survival after a simulated attack.

Also in September, the MacDill AFB Youth Center hosted “World Wide Day of Play,” an event designed to encourage parents and youth

to participate in outdoor recreation, on the Fit-ness Center lawn. Fifty-three children, ages 3 to 17 years old came out to run relay races, play dodge ball, participate in Hoolah Hoop contests and enjoy healthy competition and fun with their parents.

“This keeps kids off the streets and brings families together. I think it was a lot of fun for kids and adults,” said Cody Paige, a youth counselor.

September 28 marked a new way Airmen are served at the base Dining Facility, with the Food Transformation Initiative. FTI is a pilot program designed to provide Airmen with im-proved food quality, variety and availability, while maintaining home station and warfight-ing feeding capabilities.

During the initial phase of implementation, Airmen at the pilot locations saw new aesthet-ic designs, gourmet-style menu selections and increased operating hours at dining facilities,

so they have more time to complete their mis-sions.

Additionally, the initiative restored a sense of community by allowing civilians, families and retirees to eat at pilot installation dining facilities as of Dec 1.

In October, the Air Force Ball was a party to remember for those who put on their finest and came out for the annual event Oct. 2, spon-sored by the Tony Jannus Chapter of the Air-lift/ Tanker Association.

Air Force members danced and celebrated at the annual event, where Ms. Nicole John-son, Miss America 1999, was the guest of honor, singing the National Anthem.

The celebration marked the 63rd anniversa-ry of the Air Force, and the 71st anniversary of MacDill Air Force Base.

It was a week of fun and good-natured com-petition at MacDill during Sports Week, Oct. 7

yEARFrom Page 6

See YEAR, Page 14

Photo by Chief Jane West

The 2010 Armed Forces Powerlifting Championshipwas held at the Short Fitness Center at MacDill Air Force Base Sept. 11. The event was sanctioned by R.A.W. United.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Tanika Belfield

Michele Richoux (left), wife of Col. Lenny Richoux, 6th Air Mo-bility Wing commander, receives a cookie donation from 6th Operations Support Squadron Key Spouse Sarah Caldwell, wife of Capt. Jesse Caldwell, during the 6th Annual Operation Cookie Drop at MacDill Dec. 13. Volunteers from the MacDill Officer and Enlisted Spouses Clubs collect the baked goods to spread holiday cheer to dorm residents at MacDill.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Tanika Belfield

Tampa Bay Bucs players Geno Hayes, LeGarrette Blount and Josh Free-man were among the players on stage at MacDill during a military appre-ciation pep rally held Nov. 9.

Photo by Senior Airman Nancy Hooks

Brig. Gen. James “Rev” Jones, U.S. Central Command deputy director of operations, and Airman 1st Class Katherine Pratt, 6th Communication Squadron, cut the Air Force birthday cake during the Air Force Ball Oct. 2.

Photo by Senior Airman Nancy Hooks

Staff Sgt. John Turrill, 6th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, practices proper barrel clearing procedures on a M-16 in preparation for the operational readiness inspection at MacDill Air Force Base. More than 300 Airmen participated in training Aug. 24 through 26.

July-December 2010 in pictures

Photo by Senior Airman Nancy Hooks

Staff Sgt. John Turrill, 6th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, practices proper barrel clearing procedures on a M-16 in preparation for the operational readiness inspection at MacDill Air Force Base. More than 300 Airmen participated in training Aug. 24 through 26.

Photo by: Staff Sgt. Angela Ruiz

Jonathan Perez Rivera, from the Puerto Rico Manatee Conservation Center, pours water on Guacara, a wounded manatee after a four-and-a-half-hour flight from MacDill Air Force Base to Puerto Rico in an Air National Guard C-130. Guacara suffered minor injuries in a boat strike and was transported to the Puerto Rico Zoo, where he will be placed in his new home.

Photos by Staff Sgt. Nancy Hooks

Team MacDill members race against each other during the Annual Boat Regatta at MacDill Dec 3. The teams were given three hours to construct a boat out of duct tape and cardboard.

Tech. Sgt. Sky Howeli, 697th C o m m u n i c a -tions Squadron, conducts a PAR sweep during an Operational Readiness Ex-ercise at Gulf-port Command Readiness Train-ing Center, Miss., Sept. 26. The 6th Air Mobility Wing and the 927th Air Refueling Wing, from MacDill Air Force Base, and the 73rd Aerial Port Squadron from Naval Air Station Joint Re-serve Base Fort Worth, Texas, joined forces to become the 697th Air Expedi-tionary Wing. Photo By: Staff Sgt. Angela Ruiz

Ju ly-December 2010 in pictures

HOLIDAY CALENDAR

2010 IN REVIEW

through 11. U.S. Central Command came out on top in the Mega Unit category, while Large Unit honors went to the 6th Communications Squadron. NOAA was tops in the Small Unit competition.

Staff Sgt. Aisha Smith, 6th Medical Group, took home top honors at the Air Mobility Command Icon competition Oct. 21 at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

AMC Icon — based loosely around the TV show, American Idol — is an AMC commander’s initiative designed to show-case the vocal talents of AMC Airmen. In July and August, each of the command’s 12 installations conducted a base-level Icon contest; the top-rated active-duty AMC winner at each base-level contest represented their base during the Oct. 21 Command Finals.

In addition to her first-place finish, Sergeant Smith re-ceived a check for $1,000 and a special invitation to audition with the U.S. Air Force’s premier entertainment showcase, Tops in Blue.

In November all the hard work paid dividends, when it was learned Team MacDill scored an “Excellent” overall in the Nuclear Operational Readiness Inspection.

Colonel Richoux thanked the members of the 6th Air Mo-bility Wing and 927th Air Refueling Wing for the “hard work and preparation that went into proving our mission readi-ness in support of a major operational plan. As you know,

yEARFrom Page 8

A Tampa International Airport Transportation Security Adminis-tration member detonates an ex-plosive device during a joint train-ing session between the 6th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordi-nance Disposal team and TPA TIA at MacDill Sept. 8.See YEAR, Page 17

Photos by Staff Sgt. Angela Ruiz)

NEWS

me as I have forgiven myself (or as I have forgiven you)” may be the best response.

Whether you are a person of faith or not, December should be a time of hope, for all, that disappointments of the past are behind us and the dawn of a new year is just around the corner.

This truth can be hard to see if you feel out of control. Try imple-

menting the suggestions above and you should feel better. However, if you still feel more blue than joyous, please remember that we have a network of helping agencies ready and willing to help you find reasons to keep on living. The chaplain corps will help you find additional re-sources to overcome whatever is taking away your joy this holiday sea-son. If you need more information, please give your chaplain a call.

COMMENTARyFrom Page 3

Thunderbolt staff report

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Lun-cheon You are cordially invited to join the 6th Air Mobility Wing at 11 a.m. Jan. 14, 2011, at the Bayshore Club Ballroom as we commemo-

rate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The focus of this year’s celebration is education, which was a major priority of Dr. King’s work. The guest speaker for this event is Army Col. (Ret.) Nathan Thomas, Jr. Mr. Thomas par-ticipated in the historical march Dr. King led

known as “Bloody Sunday,” which took place in Selma, Ala., in 1965. Cost of the meal is $11 with choice of Mahi -Mahi, stuffed chicken or a vegan meal. For information or tickets, contact Capt. Bostella Walker at 827-9817 or Master Sgt. April Way at 827-9476.

Martin Luther King luncheon event set for Jan. 14

We want your newsThe MacDill Thunderbolt is seeking submissions from all units

and agencies on base. The base newspaper serves everyone on Ma Dill Air Force Base, which means everyone on base should think of it as their forum for news and information.

We welcome articles, photographs and calendar items, as well as commentaries and personal stories. Submissions can be made via e-mail to [email protected]

All content is subject to editing for style, content and length.

MACDILL COMMUNITYEVENTSTuesdayAirman & Family Readiness CenterTen Steps to a Federal Job Plus from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. We’ve combined our Ten Steps to a Federal Job, with our Federal Resume and KSA Writing courses, to create a single compre-hensive class. You will learn how to apply for federal employment, how to fill out a federal resume, and how KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Abili-ties) fit in to the process.

MacDill Family Resource Center (Brandon)Resume Writing – How to create an effective resume, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

MacDill Family Resource Center (Brandon)PreSchool Computer Learning for ages 3-5, basic computer/keyboard functions in a fun way from 9:30-10:15 a.m. Base LibraryTeens/Tween Anime Club: “New Year” at 6 p.m.

Wednesday Short Fitness & Sports CenterNew Year’s 5K - Run at 7 a.m. An official Wingman Workout event – sponsored by Stadium Toyota*No federal endorsement of sponsors intended.

Airman & Family Readiness CenterBundles for Babies from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. The Air Force Aid society would like to congratulate you by hosting an informational class for expectant parents. Representatives from mul-tiple base agencies will be provid-ing information and services to as-sist you in preparing for the arrival of your new baby. Participants will receive a “bundle” of information, re-sources, and a special gift. To sign up call 828-0145.

Friday - 7 p.m. No Showing

Protestant servicesSunday - 9 a.m. – Praise Worship Service 9 a.m. – FamCamp Traditional Service (Nov.-March) Noon – Gospel Service

Catholic servicesSaturday - 4:30 p.m. - Confession

5:30 p.m. - MassSunday - 10:30 a.m. - MassMonday to Thursday: 12:10 p.m. - Mass

Islamic servicesFriday - 1:15 p.m. - Prayer Service

CHAPEL SCHEDULE

AT THE MOVIESSaturday - 7 p.m.

No Showing

Saturday - 3 p.m. No Showing

$4 for adults / $2 for children 828-2780

yEARFrom Page 14

our overall score was ‘Excellent’ and those scores are not given out, they’re earned! The Air Mobil-ity Command Inspector General Team departed Tuesday and provided several examples in which you are setting the standard for AMC. Your hard work deserves a reward. Col. Dave Pavey and I have asked commanders to grant November 12 as a family day for the 6th AMW and 927th ARW.”

November saw some special visitors come to MacDill for a pep rally day held Nov. 9, when sev-eral members of the Tampa Bay Bucs dropped by with some of the team’s cheerleading squad.

Team MacDill rubbed elbows with Geno Hayes, Josh Freeman and LeGarrette Blount, got auto-graphs signed and posed for pictures.

Nov. 17 was for the kids, when representatives from the Toy Industry Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of America got together with MacDill to distribute free toys to the military families. Mac-Dill was selected as the first Air Force base to re-ceive the gifts.

Native American Month was celebrated at Mac-Dill in November. A ceremonial Pow Wow was held at the Bayshore Club Nov. 29, capping a month of recognition of the contribution of Native America culture.

As the year neared its end, the annual Christ-mas Tree lighting went “green,” as thousands of low-energy LED lights flickered on for the first time Dec. 6. The event featured a visit from Santa,

cookies and hot chocolate drinks for the crowd.Good weather made for a great day for the Card-

board Boat Regatta Dec. 3, an annual tradition at MacDill. Teams built boats of cardboard and duct tape, sprinting to the finish line at the MacDill Beach. Everyone got at least a little wet.

MacDill made headlines Dec. 9 when it sup-ported a mission to move an 840-pound manatee to Puerto Rico, where it found a new home at a zoo there. The manatee had been injured by a boat strike in Florida and was scheduled to be eutha-nized Dec. 10.

Guacara, as he was named, was transferred from the South Florida Museum to Puerto Rico on a Puerto Rico Air National Guard C-130 at no additional cost to the Department of Defense. The Puerto Rico ANG was already at MacDill Air Force Base conducting a training mission with U.S. Spe-cial Operations Command, giving the Air Force a great opportunity to help with a great cause.

Country singer, Craig Morgan, performed a free concert for MacDill Air Force Base Dec. 13, in an event that was part of a touring USO show. Crowds packed into the hangar to see the star, a 10-year Army Veteran and supporter of U.S. military mem-bers.

The same day, MacDill had yet another success-ful Operation Cookie Drop, in which dorm resi-dents received freshly baked cookies donated to help bring some Christmas cheer.