Read Aug. 29 edition

18 Pages·2013·1.65 MB·English

Vol. 41, No. 35 Thursday, August 29, 2013
News/Features: page 3
EOD training
Week in photos: page 4
Scenes from MacDill
News/Features: page 6
Better yourself
News/Features: page 8
Diamond Focus
High pressure
- page 10
Community: page 17
Events, Chapel, more...
Photo by Senior Airman Brittany Dowdle
Orville Soto, 6th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, releases air pressure from a fire hose while testing it at MacDill Air Force Base, Aug. 21. It
takes 3 minutes to test a 300-foot hose at 250 pounds per square inch of pressure.
Critical Days of Summer, week 15: ATV safety
- page 3
COMMANDER’S CORNER
Every member to play role in the justice process
by Lt. Col. Chris Brown As Secretary Hagel outlined, a key compo-
6th Air Mobility Wing Judge Advocate nent in the military justice system is for ev-
eryone to understand they have an indepen-
By now, you all should have received the dent role in the process. This applies whether
military justice memorandum signed by the you are a wing commander sending a case to
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. As mili- trial, a squadron commander serving an Arti-
tary members, it is important for us to under- cle 15 or a military member sitting on a court-
stand our role in the military justice process martial panel. In each of these roles, we must
and how critical the process is to enforcing always evaluate the case in front of us on its
good order and discipline in the military, own merits. We cannot worry about what we
while also protecting the rights of service think someone else wants to see as an out-
members. come in the case, including our immediate su-
One of the great benefits of the Uniform pervisor or even senior leaders within the De-
Code of Military Justice is that it allows com- partment of Defense or our government. This
manders to discipline their own members. means we use our own independent judgment
Allowing commanders to use administrative in each and every case and never substitute
tools such as reprimands and Article 15s anyone else’s opinion on the matter for our
keeps our units “mission-ready,” by ensuring own. Does that mean commanders can’t have
misconduct is handled at the appropriate lev- strict discipline policies? Of course not. It does
el. The same is true for courts-martial where mean that a superior commander can’t tell a
Lt. Col. Chris Brown
the immediate commander is generally mak- subordinate commander that he or she must
ing the decision on whether to charge some- take a certain action in a case as this would action or punishment in a case or potentially
one in their unit with an offense (preferring be unlawful command influence. If the supe- by making a statement that causes other
a charge) and then if the evidence warrants rior or commander really feels strongly about members to believe there is a pre-determined
it, a higher commander. During those circum- how the case should be handled, he or she can result or punishment in the case. We might
stances, generally, the wing commander or always take the case at their level. see this in courts-martial where a panel
numbered air force commander actually sends The term unlawful command influence in- member might interpret something said by
the charge to court (referring the charge). dicates a superior, either through words or ac- a superior commander or senior leader to be
This gives our commanders a lot of discretion tions, has impacted the outcome in a particu- directing them to come to a certain verdict or
in how to handle allegations of misconduct. lar case. This might be by directing a certain
See CORNER, Page 16
MacDill on the web
COMMANDER’S ACTION LINE
Website: www.macdill.af.mil
The Action Line provides 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-
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
ments. Call the Action Line at 828-INFO (4636) or email macdillwingcom-
MacDillAirForceBase
[email protected].
MacDill Thunderbolt government, the Department of Defense, the Department of may be obtained by calling 259-7455.
the Air Force or the 6th Air Mobility Wing. News items for the MacDill Thunderbolt can be submitted
Publisher: Bill Barker The appearance of advertising in this publication, includ- to the 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs office, 8208 Hangar
Editor: Nick Stubbs ing inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement Loop Dr., suite 14, MacDill AFB, FL 33621, or call the MacDill
by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Thunderbolt staff at 828-2215. Email: [email protected].
Force, 6th Air Mobility Wing or Sunbelt Newspapers, Inc., of Deadline for article submissions is noon, Wednesdays to
the products or service advertised. appear in the next week’s publication. Articles received after
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NEWS/FEATURES
Training MacDill’s newest EOD Airmen
ATV Safety
Confidence is good, becoming overly com-
fortable is usually bad. Riders tend to be-
come overconfident after 5-10 hours of total
riding time. This is usually the MOST dan-
gerous time by far for riders.
Never forget you’re riding a machine that
could potentially kill you if you make the
wrong mistake.
The biggest danger facing ATV use is the
possibility of a rollover.
Safety Tips:
u Take a hands-on safety training
course.
u Always wear protective gear – espe-
cially a helmet.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Brandon Shapiro
u Do not drive ATVs with a passenger or
Airman 1st Class Steven Murphy (Left) and Airman 1st Class John Barr IV, explosive ordnance
ride as a passenger.
disposal technicians with the 6th Civil Engineer Squadron, work together to problem solve a
u Do not drive ATVs on paved roads.
training scenario, Aug. 15 at MacDill Air Force Base. Barr’s and Murphy’s training was part of a
u Do not operate while under the influ-
month-long training on conventional munitions.
ence of alcohol/drugs.
by Airman 1st Class Ned T. Johnston ance.
u Do not use excessive speeds.
6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs “Every month is dedicated to training on
u Do not let children operate an adult
different types of threats that we could face
sized ATV.
“A mistake when it really counts could lead when we’re deployed,” said Last. “This month
to severe injuries or worse, which is why we we’re focusing on conventional munitions.”
Eat, dance, run:
train so much,” said Airman 1st Class John During the training, Barr and Murphy used
MacDill celebrates Barr IV, an explosive ordnance disposal tech- a percussion actuated neutralizer (PAN), as
nician with 6th Civil Engineer Squadron. well as an advance radiographic system (ARS)
Hispanic Heritage Month
When a career field has a name like explo- MK 41 during the training scenarios.
sive ordnance disposal, one could only imagine The PAN is used to blast a shot of water
by Airman 1st Class Tori Schultz the dangerous situations that EOD techni- out of a tube and into a suspect item, such as
6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs cians must go through on a day-to-day basis. boxes, crates, and backpacks filled with explo-
The members of 6th CES are well aware of the sives. The PAN disrupts and disarms what is
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage dangerous nature of their job and train year- inside, or creates an opening in the suspect
Month, MacDill Air Force Base will be host- round to ensure the safety of their Airmen for item, so the EOD technician can access what’s
ing multiple events for Team MacDill to at- when they deploy. inside.
tend. “Getting this on-the-job training is vital for The ARS MK 41 records and enhances im-
The Hispanic Heritage celebration be- mission success down range,” said Barr. ages of improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
gan in 1968 under President Lyndon John- The 6th CES recently received two Airmen and unexploded ordnances (UXOs) concealed
son as a week of remembrance. It was later straight out of boot camp and technical school within suspect items. The digital X-ray can
expanded to a 30-day period by President and highlighted them in their training Aug. then be viewed to determine what the EOD
Ronald Reagan. Each year, the observance 15, 2013. Barr and Airman 1st Class Steven technician is dealing with inside the concealment.
starts Sept. 15 and ends Oct. 15. Murphy, an EOD technician with 6th CES, “After all the training we went through to-
The 2013 Hispanic Heritage Month
were tasked with a variety of different sce- day, I can honestly say I learned a lot,” said
theme is Hispanics: Serving and Leading
narios while Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Last, an EOD Murphy. “Scenarios I hadn’t seen before as
technician with 6th CES, and other senior well as methods of solving the situation that I
See HISPANIC, Page 7
EOD technicians watched for quality assur- hadn’t thought of before.”
WEEK IN PHOTOS
Photo by Senior Airman Brittany Dowdle
Graduates from Airmen Leadership School, class 13-F, recite the Airman’s
Creed after receiving their certificates at the Davis Conference Center at Mac-
dill Air Force Base, Aug. 22. Twenty-four students participated in class work,
physical training and volunteer hours during the five-week ALS course.
Airman 1st Class Christian Neason, a cable and antenna mainte-
nance technician with the 6th Communications Squadron, sepa-
rates copper pairs inside of Cat-6 cabling to build a patch cord at
MacDill Air Force Base, Aug. 22. Neason and other Airmen from
6th CS were fixing internet problems that the 6th Air Mobility Wing
Headquarters building was having.
Photo by Senior Airman Michael Ellis
Retired Lt. Greg McCarty, 18-year Tampa Fire Rescue veteran and Stay Alive
From Education presenter, explains how one of the most common, uncom-
fortable experiences is when a catheter is used on crash victim who neglect-
ed to buckle their seatbelt Aug. 23 at MacDill Air Force Base. SAFE present-
ers briefed Team MacDill members on the potential consequences of driving
under the influence and not wearing a seatbelt.
(Left) Joseph Burns, 6th Air Mobility Wing director of staff, presents Gregory
Visco, the unit deployment manager for 6th Air Mobility Wing staff, with a
certificate recognizing his 20 years of service as a federal employee, at Mac-
Dill Air Force Base, Aug. 23. Visco was presented the certificate during the
wing staff call.
Photo by Airman 1st Class Ned Johnston

NEWS/FEATURES
Retraining: Better yourself, better the Force
by Staff Sgt. Brandon Shapiro
6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
As the stories most commonly go, “I didn’t
pick this job,” “My recruiter lied to me,” or “I
was expecting something different...”
Whatever the reason may be that you were
“forced” into your job, or that you need a new
adventure--just know, being savvy on the fol-
lowing programs may open up the doors you’ve
been longing for: the CAREERS Retraining
Program or the Noncommissioned Officer Re-
training Program (NCORP).
u The CAREERS Retraining program is
designed to retrain first term Airmen in con-
junction with a reenlistment, into skills where
shortages exist, and additionally allows a lim-
ited number of Airmen the opportunity to pur-
sue other career paths in the Air Force.
u Much like the CAREERS Retraining Pro-
gram, NCORP gives Airmen a way to cross- Photo by Staff Sgt. Brandon Shapiro
train where shortages exist, allowing a lim- Changing career fields may not be as hard as one thinks. Through the First Term Airman Re-
ited number the opportunity to pursue other training Program and the NCO Retraining Program, hundreds of slots are available each year for
career paths in the Air Force applicants.
Although the programs may seem unpreten-
tious, a few common mistakes and misunder- tance advisor. “If you are unsure what you are Force Personnel Center sends you....then read
standings are what often disqualifies or slows doing, read the MyPers retraining information it again. Retraining is always dictated by what
down the applicants. and contact your base career assistance advi- is on the Retraining Advisory.”
“Using the on-line application when in- sor.” Once each criterion has been met and you
eligible and applying for Air Force specialty When Walters was asked if she had any have been selected for retraining, the hardest
codes that lack quotas are the most common advice for those interested in retraining, she part is over and the fun begins--again.
mistakes,” said Senior Master Sgt. Melissa commented, “Do your research, verify your “I was always interested in the Equal Op-
Walters, MacDill Air Force Base’s career assis- eligibility, and read everything that the Air
See RETRAIN, Page 15
HISPANIC
From Page 3
Our Nation with Pride
and Honor. The theme
highlights the impor-
tant roles and signifi-
cant contributions His-
panics have made with
pride and honor in all
sectors of the Ameri-
can society.
Scheduled events in-
clude:
u Sept. 6, a “Run-
ning of the Bulls” 5K
will be the kickoff
event. The run will
begin at the Short Fit-
ness Center and follow-
ing the event breakfast
burritos will be for sale
for one for $3 and two
for $5.
u Sept. 20, a food
tasting will be held in
the base chapel. Col.
Peter Santa Ana, 6th
Mission Support Group
commander, will be the
guest speaker.
u Oct. 5, dance in-
structors and a live
disc jockey will be at
Sea Scapes for fiesta
and Latin dancing.
Tapas and other His-
panic foods will be
available to taste.
u Oct. 15, a chips
and salsa eating com-
petition will be held
at the Short Fitness
Center Volunteers
will compete against
each other. The judges
will be Col. Scott De-
Thomas, 6th Air Mobil-
ity Wing commander,
Col. Andre Briere, 6th
AMW vice commander,
and Chief Master Sgt.
Thomas Mazzone, 6th
AMW command chief.
All proceeds from
the various events will
go to local charities.
NEWS/FEATURES
Diamond focus; MacDill hosts first sergeant symposium
by Staff Sgt. Brandon Shapiro
6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
From military disciplinary actions and law
enforcement infringements to dealing with do-
mestic assaults and the long hours away from
one’s family, the ins-and-outs of being a first
sergeant were discussed in full at MacDill Air
Force Base, Fla., Aug. 12 to 14, 2013.
The event, MacDill’s second annual First
Sergeants’ Symposium, presented 19 inquisi-
tive technical and master sergeants with in-
formation on the intricacies of being “diamond
wearers.” This year’s symposium was headed
by Senior Master Sgt. Carlos Chavez, 6th
Maintenance Squadron first sergeant, and in-
cluded representatives from MacDill’s numer-
ous helping agencies.
“We put the symposium together for senior
NCOs and master sergeant selects who are in-
terested in becoming additional duty “shirts,”
and for those who would just like to acquire
additional leadership skills for their tool-
Photo by Staff Sgt. Brandon Shapiro
box,” commented Chavez. “With the Air Force
Andrea Bowen, MacDill’s Family Advocacy Program manager, calls on a member of the audi-
changing to a nominative selection process on
ence to answer a question during a portion of a 3-day first sergeant symposium held recently at
Sept. 6, 2013, as it pertains to special duty, the
MacDill Air Force Base. The audience, comprised of technical and master sergeants, listened in
seminar will allow MSgt selects or MSgts to
on all the duties of first sergeants.
See SYMPOSIUM, Page 14
Commissary
Warehouse
Sale
The MacDill
Commissary will
be have a Ware-
house Sale Sept.
14, 15, 21, 22,
from 9 a.m. to
5:30 p.m.
The location
of the sale will
be in the second
warehouse with
parking available
behind the com-
missary for each
day.
Congratulations to
newest ALS grads
The following graduates were singled out for
special recognition for their achievements:
John L. Levitow Award
Staff Sgt. Abbey Wallace
Distinguished Graduate Award
Senior Airman Jennifer Zemke-MacElman
Commandant Award
Staff Sgt. Pierre Rodriguez
Academic Achievement Award
Senior Airman Jennifer Zemke-MacElman
The following are the graduates from ALS Class
13-F:
6th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
Senior Airman Andrew Camarillo
Staff Sgt. Brian Gilmartin
Staff Sgt. Lance Anderson
6th Communications Squadron
Staff Sgt. Pierre Rodriguez
6th Force Support Squadron
Staff Sgt. Shanon Oge
6th Logistics Readiness Squadron
Staff Sgt. Joshua Midla
Senior Airman Adam Williams
Senior Airman Kody Williams
6th Medical Support Squadron
Staff Sgt. Mercedes Carson
6th Medical Operations Squadron
Staff Sgt. Meagan Risner
6th Security Forces Squadron
Staff Sgt. Joshua Baker
Staff Sgt. Scott Baker
Staff Sgt. Jesse Havens
Staff Sgt. Eric Martin
Senior Airman Juliana Mejia
Staff Sgt. Daniel Smith II
Senior Airman Tiffany Towsley
Senior Airman Jennifer Zemke-MacElman
See ALS, Page 16
Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’
Photos by Senior Airman Brittany Dowdle
Staff Sgt. Casey Stanaland, 6th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department crew chief, carries a
hose while Tech. Sgt. Rusty Thomas, 6th CES section chief, and Staff Sgt. Paul Dodds, 6th CES
fire department crew chief, fold a hose, after testing the fire department’s hoses at MacDill Air
Force Base, Aug 21. The fire department tests the hoses annually to ensure they meet the Na-
tional Fire Protection Association standards.