fueling the fight

Vol. 44, No. 39 Thursday, September 29, 2016

News/Features: page 3Fallen Airman honored

News/Features: page 126th Bomb Group vets visit

Week in photos: page 4Images from the week

News/Features: page 10Tanker gets a new tail

Community: page 14Events, Chapel, more...

Photo by Airman 1st Class Mariette Adams

Airman Raymond Randall, a distribution truck operator with the 6th Logistics Readiness Squadron, performs a fuel test at MacDill Air Force Base Sept. 21. Fuel testing is performed daily to ensure fuel quality is at its best.

Fueling the fight - page 8

by Senior Airman Tori Schultz6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

“It’s been a pretty long journey for me,” said Tech. Sgt. Jessica Grogan,

contracting officer and team lead with the 6th Contracting Squadron. “I have been going to school for the last 10 years and have often been dis-couraged thinking about all the school I’ve completed without earning that piece of paper.”

From a young age, Grogan, a native of Waukesha, Wisconsin, had dreams of becoming a doctor. She got closer to that dream when was noti-fied April 8 that she was accepted into the Interservice Physician Assis-tant Program (IPAP) through the Air Force.

“The 29-month program is open to enlisted, officer, academy and re-serve officer training corps cadets,” said Kevin Smith, Air Force Personnel Center biomedical sciences corps education manager.

During her first enlistment, Grogan was a weather forecaster. While she enjoyed the weather career field, she eventually decided to retrain into contracting for more stable work hours and to experience something new.

“With weather, there is a lot of shift work,” said Grogan. “Trying to bal-ance school and an ever-changing schedule can get pretty tough.”

Childhood dream becomes reality for MacDill sergeant

Photo by Senior Airman Tori Schultz

Tech. Sgt. Jessica Grogan, contracting officer and team lead with the 6th Contracting Squadron, pauses for a photo at MacDill Air Force Base Sept. 22. Grogan was notified April 8 that she was accepted into the Interservice Physician Assistant Program through the Air Force.

For information about base operations during emergencies or natural disasters, call the Straight Talk Line at 828-4163

See DREAM, Page 15

by Capt. Jessica Brown6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

A fallen Airman’s memory will forever live on as the American Red

Cross will rename a center in his honor. As a special tribute, the Kuwait Rest and Recovery center will be

named after 2nd Lt. Travis Jordan, who was an active volunteer at the Red Cross during his youth and adulthood.

“Travis was a special man who answered a call to serve, and was a member of our Red Cross Family in many ways throughout his youth and into his early adulthood,” said Koby Langley, senior vice president of the American Red Cross.

The center is frequented by more than 40,000 service members a year, and is intended to provide a “home-away-from-home” for visitors. After more than 15 years of use, the center has had few renovations, but this year that is expected to change. The refurbished center is expected to be renamed following restoration next spring.

“Since Travis was the ‘man of the house’ during my Marine Corps com-bat deployments, taking care of his mom and little brother, he developed a real heart towards troops transitioning, recovering and returning home from deployment,” said Michael Jordan, Travis’ father. “When I returned from Ramadi, Iraq, in 2005, I transitioned through the Red Cross Kuwait Rest and Recovery Center – the dedication of this center in honor of Tra-vis’ memory is beyond words.”

According to his father, Travis wanted to join the military ever since he was a young boy; he saw service to his country as a rite of passage, as military service within his family can be dated back to the American Revolution.

“The renaming of the center cannot bring Travis back, but there is comfort in knowing that the Travis Jordan Rest and Recovery Center will

continue to provide support for deployed service members who are away from their families,” said his father.

Travis is survived by his parents, Michael and Lynn, and his younger brother, Connor.

by Lt. Col. Carol Mitchell310th Airlift Squadron commander

Heritage, or the collection of an organiza-

tion’s traditions, is what makes us proud to be part of that organization. Celebrating our heri-tage and honoring our traditions sets the U.S. military apart from its civilian counterparts and reminds us that we are part of a unique team with a distinguished history.

One of our Air Force traditions is called the Final Flight or “Fini” flight. It celebrates an aircrew member’s last flight, and is marked by a celebration upon returning to his or her base, where family and friends await to hose him or her down and enjoy a celebratory bottle of champagne.

The “Fini” flight tradition can be traced back to the Vietnam War when aircrew would commemorate the completion of 100 combat missions. The 100th safe landing was truly a reason to celebrate. Keeping with Air Force tra-dition, the superintendent of the 310th Airlift Squadron, Senior Master Sgt. Forin Hernandez, celebrated his “Fini” flight on July 19, return-ing to MacDill Air Force Base (AFB) to be hosed down by his family and honored by his col-

leagues before moving on to the Tanker Airlift Control Center at Scott AFB.

The 310th Airlift Squadron, which provides safe, comfortable and reliable airlift to the na-tion’s senior leaders, has a rich heritage and illustrious history of its own. It was originally constituted as the 310th Troop Carrier Squad-ron in 1943, flying the Douglas C-47 “Skytrain” to transport U.S. ground forces in Europe dur-ing WWII. It flew airborne assaults on Norman-dy, Holland and Germany, winning a Distin-guished Unit Citation for its actions on D-Day. The 310th went on to fly C-46 “Commandos” in the Korean Conflict, as well as Sikorsky H-19 “Chickasaw” helicopters in Operation Redwing in the Marshall Islands as a 1950s-era nuclear testing platform.

The 310th Troop Carrier Squadron partici-pated in the Vietnam War, flying the C-123K “Provider” and the C-7 “Caribou.” It was inac-tivated in 1972 as the last tactical airlift unit in South Vietnam. The 310th was reactivated in 1984 at Howard AFB, Panama, flying the C-21A, C-22A, C-27, CT-43A, and C-130 (E and H) to provide aerial detection and monitoring over the Panama Canal Zone.

MacDill ThunderboltPublisher: Joe DeLuca

Editor: Nick Stubbs

The MacDill Thunderbolt is published by the Times Publish-ing Company, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force. This commercial enterprise newspaper is an autho-rized publication for distribution to members of the U.S. mili-tary 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 Defense, the Department of the Air Force or the 6th Air Mobility Wing.

The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force, 6th Air Mobility Wing or the TImes Publishing Company of the products or service advertised.

For retail advertising, call (813) 226-3318.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-merit

factor of the purchaser, user, or patron. News items for the MacDill Thunderbolt can be submitted

to the 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs office, 8208 Hangar Loop Dr., suite 14, MacDill AFB, FL 33621. Call the Thunderbolt at 828-2215. Email: [email protected].

Deadline for article submissions is noon, Wednesdays to appear in the next week’s publication. Articles received after deadline may be considered for future use. All submissions 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 Stylebook and Libel Manual” and Air Force Instruction 35-101.

COMMANDER’S ACTION LINE

The Action Line provides two-way communication between the 6th Air Mobility Wing commander and the MacDill community. Per-sonnel may submit questions, concerns or comments via email to [email protected].

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COMMENTARY NEWS/FEATURES310th Airlift Squadron continues a proud heritage Kuwait R&R center renamed in honor of MacDill Airman

Lt. Col. Carol Mitchell

Courtesy photo

Public Affairs Qualification Course Class 020-16 graduate 2nd Lt. Travis Jordan, right, is pictured here at the Defense Information School, Fort Meade, Md., March 9.

The Thunderbolt published an advertisement in the Sept. 22 edi-tion that looked like an actual story.

It was an error in judgment by the Thunderbolt staff to allow such an advertisement to be published. The Thunderbolt staff prides itself

on producing high-quality articles that feature military members ex-ecuting the mission. Moving forward, advertisements will be clearly identifiable and will not be confused with actual stories. We sincerely apologize if you were misled.

Our apologiesSee COMMENTARY, Page 6

Photo by Airman Adam R. Shanks

From left to right, Col. April Vogel, commander of the 6th Air Mobility Wing (AMW); Col. Jennifer Crossman, vice commander of the 6th AMW; and Chief Master Sgt. Melanie Noel, command chief of the 6th AMW, sign their pledges to the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) Sept. 20 at MacDill Air Force Base. The CFC is a campaign for service members to donate to a charity of their choice, which kicked off at MacDill Sept. 21.

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Chief Master Sgt. Melanie Noel, command chief of the 6th Air Mobility Wing, pulls cable during Airman’s Time at MacDill Air Force Base Sept. 22. Noel assisted cable and antenna systems technicians by pulling cable used for communications.

WEEK IN PHOTOS


Col. April Vogel, commander of the 6th Air Mobility Wing, gives opening remarks during the Air Mobility Command Flight Commander’s Course Sept. 22 at MacDill Air Force Base. The course is designed to provide flight commanders common instruction, which builds skills in both supervision and leadership.

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by retired Air Force Col. Billy GrahamRetiree Activities Office director

We are still surviving the hot summer months, and many changes in the base command have occurred over the last few months, especially our new wing commander, Col. April Vogel. We wish her the best here at MacDill.

Hearing aids are available at either of our local VA hospitals. You must first enroll in the VA to receive this benefit, and if not, visit the VA cen-ter at their respective audiology center. Remember as TriCare for Life members, you can also get a free eye exam once a year, plus a new pair of glasses if you take the prescription to the visual lab in the clinic.

Pass and ID is now in building 411, which used to be the MacDill Inn. The MacDill Inn is now in the new hotel on Bayshore, the large building across from the Davis Conference Center. Appointments can be obtained

online from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Walk-ins are available during the same time period until capacity is reached.

You can schedule an appointment with the legal office by calling 828-4421 on Monday mornings. They may have a high volume of calls. You can also call Wednesday and get an appointment, if any are available. The of-fice is in the wing headquarters building at 8208 Hangar Loop Drive. You will need to bring a legal worksheet, which can be obtained on our office next to the commissary.

The medical clinic is closed every forth Monday of the month along with all pharmacies. The clinic will be the location of our next Retiree Ap-preciation Day sometime in February. We will notify all of you when the date is set.

We always need volunteers here at the office. If you have some spare time and want to assist our fellow retirees, please help out. Also, we will need volunteers for tax preparation starting in January 2017. Please call us for more info or just drop in any day between 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. or call us at 828-4555.

NEWS/FEATURESA message from the Retiree Activities Office

NEWS/FEATURES

by Nick StubbsThunderbolt editor

Professional firefighters know what that’s all about, but the average Joe can only imagine what the job of battling a scorching blaze is really like. The Joes will get their chance to find out Oct. 14 in the first-ever MacDill Firefighter’s Challenge.

Open to anyone who works on base, teams of four will compete in a va-riety of challenges that simulate firefighting functions.

It’s a lot of work, but also a “lot of fun,” said Tech. Sgt. Phillip Morris, a MacDill firefighter and organizer of the event. He added that the goal is to combine competition and fun with a lesson in what the job of firefight-ing entails.

“We normally hold fire musters or challenges at deployed locations, but we decided we wanted to bring them CONUS (continental United States),” said Morris. “It’s a really good time for everyone involved.”

Morris said he is hoping to have 15 to 20 teams competing in the chal-lenge, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the grassy lot across the street from the 6th Air Mobility Wing headquarters building. As an incentive, teams will compete for three top prizes of 6th Force Support Squadron (FSS) gift certificates for $500, $200 and $100. Trophies will be awarded, as well.

Events will include an obstacle course, a fire hose advance, a bucket brigade, a victim drag, tool carry and hose roll among others. The fastest overall time wins. Spectators can attend for free, and there will be bleach-

ers and a food truck on site.“We’re looking forward to it,” said Wendy Foster, a marketing director

for the 6th FSS. “It will be the first one and we hope more will follow.”Teams must sign up by Oct. 11 by close of business at www.tinyurl.com/

macdillfirech. Morris can be reached at 828-3630.

First-ever Firefighter’s Challenge event coming to MacDill

Photo courtesy of Tech. Sgt. Phillip Morris

A team competing in a past Firefighter’s Challenge at a deployed location pulls a fire truck in a test of strength and endurance. MacDill will host its first such challenge event Oct. 14.

Finally, in 2001, the 310th Airlift Squadron (AS) moved to MacDill AFB and joined the 6th Air Mobility Wing, using the CT-43A and EC-135N for distinguished visi-tor (DV) airlift. In 2003, it traded in its aging aircraft for three C-37A executive transport jets (modified Gulf-stream G-V’s), which it still flies today. The 310th AS cur-rently provides worldwide DV airlift in support of U.S. combatant commanders and other senior leaders.

The 310th Airlift Squadron, affectionately known as the Special Air Mission Flamingos, not only observes Air Force traditions like the “Fini” flight, but it also cel-ebrates its own unique heritage. It takes pride in accom-plishing its no-fail mission, just as it has for more than seven decades. As a result, every Friday, members of the 310th AS meet in their Heritage Room at 3:10 p.m. to honor their forefathers, build camaraderie, and reflect on their accomplishments.

“History makes you smarter, but heritage makes you prouder.” – Gen. Robin Rand, commander, AF Global Strike Command.

COMMENTARYFrom Page 2

story and photos by Airman 1st Class Mariette Adams6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

It’s early morning and the sun is just rising over the horizon. Petroleum, oil, lubricants (POL) Airmen are already hard at work inspecting, testing fuel and fuel-

ing aircraft. These Airmen never stop; with 24-hour opera-tions that handle up to 2 million gallons of fuel, they are mission-ready at all times.

“POL’s job is to safely receive, store, quality check, and issue all fuel and cryogenic products on MacDill Air Force Base,” explained Senior Master Sgt. Jonathan Northing-ton, the fuels management flight superintendent with the 6th Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS).

From controlling their own accounting section to man-aging their own lab testing operation, POL Airmen per-form a wide range of tasks to accomplish their mission.

“A typical day in POL consists of performing the refuel-ing fleet ‘checkpoint’ inspection, inspecting all of our facili-ties, ordering fuel, receiving fuel, sampling fuel, process-ing all fuel transactions, issuing fuel and maintaining our readiness,” said Northington.

POL Airmen must be ready at a moment’s notice when called to fuel.

“When we get a call requesting fuel, we have up to 15 minutes to get to them, but our average response time for our shop here is roughly seven or eight minutes,” said Se-nior Airman Ernest Friedrichsen, a preventative mainte-nance supervisor with the 6th LRS.

The fuel provided reaches MacDill’s KC-135 Stratotank-ers, C-37A Gulfstreams, any aircraft that comes to Mac-Dill, as well as aircraft around the world during refueling missions.

“Our main goal is to make sure the fuel is in good qual-ity, accounted for and that the fuel gets to the aircraft in a timely manner,” said Airman Raymond Randall, a dis-tribution truck operator with the 6th LRS. “The fuel we provide doesn’t just go to our aircraft, it goes to aircraft around the world so they can complete their mission.”

On top of maintaining fuel readiness for aircraft, these Airmen provide fuel throughout MacDill.

“We provide the fuel needed to power the base, whether it is Jet-A for the aircraft, ground products for the vehicle fleet, or emergency diesel for generators; we provide it all,” said Northington.

On average, POL Airmen move more than 95,000 gal-lons of fuel daily throughout MacDill. Their efforts allow the Air Force to be mission-ready to rapidly project airlift and air refueling across the globe.

Fueling the mission: One tank at a time

Airman Raymond Randall, a distribution truck operator with the 6th Logistics Readiness Squadron, pours excess fuel into a container during a fuel test at MacDill Air Force Base Sept. 21. Fuel testing is performed daily to ensure the quality of the fuel is at its peak.

Airman Raymond Randall, a distribution truck operator with the 6th Logistics Readiness Squadron, performs a fuel test at MacDill Air Force Base Sept. 21. Petroleum, oil, lubricants Airmen are responsible for providing fuel throughout MacDill.

Senior Airman Joshua Hill, a fuel service center controller with the 6th Logistics Readiness Squadron, performs administrative tasks at MacDill Air Force Base Sept. 22. Petroleum, oil, lubricants Airmen perform a wide range of tasks to accomplish the mission including their own administrative and accounting sections.

Fuel pumps distribute fuel to respective locations at MacDill Air Force Base Sept. 21. Petroleum, oil, lubricants Airmen issue and receive on average over 95,000 gallons of fuel throughout MacDill daily.

Staff Sgt. Kenya Drake, a refueling supervisor with the 94th Logistics Readiness Squadron, inspects a vehicle at MacDill Air Force Base Sept. 21. Each vehicle has approximately 101 different items that are checked during the vehicle inspection.

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by Airman 1st Class Rito Smith6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

Airmen from the 6th Maintenance Squadron (MXS) at

MacDill Air Force Base had the rare opportunity of replac-ing a broken rudder on a KC-135 Stratotanker Sept. 16.

The task was no easy feat, though MacDill’s maintenance Airmen proved up to the challenge.

They began their task by folding and removing the jet’s fin, allowing them to replace the rudder attached to the fin. This task requires at a minimum one crane operator, one spotter, and two additional maintainers to remove the fin.

In addition to the personnel required for the fin fold, 10 maintainers are needed to man a rope for the tricky task of breaking the fin’s center of gravity, creating a counter bal-ance as it is being lowered.

“From start to finish our maintainers put in about 72 man-hours to ensure the rudder is replaced correctly,” said Master Sgt. Leslie Foti, aerospace section chief assigned to the 6th MXS. “The two teams required to complete the task worked alternating shifts to ensure the part was fixed ac-curately and timely.”

Maintainers consistently work 12-hour shifts to ensure that any task they are given is completed accurately and in a timely fashion.

“The most important thing is that the maintainers take their time to ensure everything is completed safely and ac-cording to the technical instructions,” said Foti. “They do this in order to provide a safe aircraft for our pilots to fly and complete the mission.”

It’s essential to the 6th Air Mobility Wing’s mission that the aircraft assigned to MacDill are safe to fly and ready to deploy.

“If we shortfall one of our missions it puts a strain on the entire Air Force,” said Tech. Sgt. Martin De Jesus, an aero-space maintainer assigned to the 6th MXS. “That’s why it’s important that we work hard to keep all of our aircraft ready.”

Removing the fin in order to replace the rudder was an enormous task that required Airmen to be knowledgeable as well as confident in their work.

NEWS/FEATURESPin the tail on the KC-135: MacDill maintainers tackle rare opportunity

See TAIL, Page 12

Photo by Airman 1st Class Rito Smith

Senior Airman Michael Lewis, left, and Tech. Sgt. Martin De Jesus, right, aerospace maintainers assigned to the 6th Maintenance Squadron, guide a crane operator while fixing a KC- 135 Stratotanker Sept. 16 at MacDill Air Force Base. The crane was attached to straps on the tanker’s fin to keep it from falling during repairs on the rudder.

TAilFrom Page 3

“Our main focus was to do it safe and do it right to get it done,” said De Jesus. “We had the guidance from leadership, so we were confident from day one that we could complete our mission.”

The critical role that maintainers play in the mission al-lows them to see firsthand how their jobs affect the base as well as the Air Force.

“When we see the aircraft take off and then come back with no issues, it feels great,” said De Jesus. “We know that we did the work; we made that flight happen and we are proud of that.”

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NEWS/FEATURESHonoring heroes of the past: 6th Bomb Group visits MacDillby Airman Adam R. Shanks6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

Members of the 6th Bomb Group Association visited MacDill Air Force Base Friday for a base tour. The visit was a part of the group’s 30th an-nual reunion, which started in Treasure Island, Florida.

While not active today, the 6th Bomb Group (BG) lives on as the parent organization of the 6th Operations Group, which operates with the 91st Air Refueling Squadron, the 310th Airlift Squadron and the 911th Air Refueling Squadron under the 6th Air Mobility Wing (AMW).

Activated on April 1, 1944, the 6th BG moved to North Field on Tinian Island in the Marianas Islands. From there the group flew the B-29 Su-perfortress, conducting bombing raids over Ja-pan.

“With the ‘Pirate’s Head’ on the nose and the Circle ‘R’ symbol on the tail, the 6th BG aircraft became some of the most recognized and feared in all of the Pacific War,” said David Wilson, co-historian of the 6th BG Association.

One mission flown by the 6th BG was the lon-gest non-stop bombing mission of WWII. Crew-members of the B-29 “Flak Alley Sally” flew con-tinuously for 19 hours and 40 minutes, covering 4,400 miles.

Toward the end of WWII, the famous B-29 “Enola Gay” parked alongside the 6th BG at Ti-nian Island. Later, on Aug. 6, 1945, the “Enola Gay” conducted the first-ever atomic bomb mis-sion at Hiroshima, Japan.

“Since (the Enola Gay) was parked with air-craft of the 6th BG at Tinian Island, the Circle ‘R’ symbol was painted on her tail while she flew the atomic mission to Hiroshima,” said Wilson. “Today, the Enola Gay still wears the symbol on


Col. April Vogel, right, commander of the 6th Air Mobility Wing, pauses for a photo with veterans of the 6th Bombardment Group at MacDill Air Force Base Friday. The group, conducted bombing raids over Japan during WWII, and is the predecessor to the 6th Operations Group at MacDill.

Courtesy Photo

A photo of Ed Vincent, aircraft commander and pilot of the B-29 Superfortress “Flak Alley Sally” and its crew during WWII. “Flak Alley Sally” was part of the 6th Bombardment Group, which conducted many bombing missions in the Pacific War and later transitioned into the 6th Operations Group at MacDill Air Force Base.

display in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum at Dulles International Airport.”

Although it is the successor of an Air Force bomb group, the 6th Operations Group fo-cuses on air refueling, and the memory of the 6th BG lives on at MacDill. A flag of the 6th BG remains on display in the 6th AMW Headquarters.

“The veterans were happy to see the flag again,” said Wilson. “Some of them haven’t seen the flag in close to 70 years.”

To conclude the visit, family and friends with the 6th BG Association discussed their history and viewed presentations about where the group came from to how it transi-tioned to the 6th OG. The veterans also shared stories of their experiences during WWII.

Col. April Vogel, commander of the 6th AMW gave remarks to the veterans and pre-sented certificates of appreciation to them.

“We’re truly on the shoulders of giants,” said Vogel. “It’s our honor to be able to build from what they have started and continue their legacy today.”

See BOMB GROUP, Page 13

bOMb gROuPFrom Page 12

We appreciate all the donations given to the Airman’s Attic. Please ensure your donations are no less than slightly used and in good condi-

tion. We cannot accept any hazardous materials gas, chemicals, oils, etc., or out-dated food items. The bins in front of the Airman’s Attic are for donations only and not to be used to throw away any trash. Thank you for the continued support.

Airman’s Attic donation info

Grogan first applied to the Airman Enlisted Commissioning Program in 2009 for nursing, but wasn’t selected, because she didn’t have enough time on station. She now sees that experience as a blessing in disguise.

“I was pretty discouraged after that, but eventually picked myself back up and found my second wind,” said Grogan. “I decided to not only try again, but instead to apply for a master’s level program, which is what I really wanted to do; the challenge and pace of this program is something that is definitely more in my wheel house.”

Grogan slowly began chipping away at the prerequisites required for the program after she finished her career development courses. The pro-gram requires at least 60 semester hours of college to include Chemistry I & II, Biology, Microbiology, Anatomy and Physiology I & II, Algebra, Psy-chology, Medical Terminology, English I & II and social sciences.

“I also had to take the scholastic assessment test, complete a video in-terview, complete 30-plus hours of shadowing a physician assistant at the clinic, and submit six letters of recommendation along with a few other administrative things,” said Grogan.

Grogan came across multiple challenges along her journey, but refused to let them get in her way.

“Between deployments, temporary duty assignments, permanent change of stations (PCS), and just life in general, there were so many times when giving up would have been easier and justified,” said Grogan.

“However, I was blessed with truly amazing and supportive leadership and their trust and belief in me was and is still so motivating.”

Grogan will PCS to Fort Sam Houston, Texas, in March to begin her Phase I training for 16 months and will graduate with her bachelor’s degree. From there she will PCS to an Air Force hospital to complete the Phase II portion and receive her master’s.

“I’ll complete commissioned officer training and commission as a first lieutenant and start my new career as an Air Force physician assistant,” said Grogan. “This has been my future goal…, so it’s unbelievable that it’s about to be reality.”

Now that Grogan has met her goal, she’s ready to buckle down and fo-cus on the schooling she has in front of her.

“The IPAP program is known for being extremely intense, and I have often heard the comparison of drinking water through a firehose,” said Grogan. “I’m ready to focus on being the most attentive, informed, and knowledgeable physician assistant that I can be.”

The path to achieving her goal was filled with twists, turns and bumps in the road, but after 10 years of hard work she has reached her objective.

“I knew eventually that all this sprinting uphill would pay off,” said Grogan. “In life, with all things, to grow one must embrace the discomfort.

“There are so many opportunities available through the Air Force, which is why I love it so much!”

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COMMUNITYEVENTS

SundayMacDill Lanes & Family Fun Center

Football Frenzy, doors open at noon. NFL Sunday Ticket every game, For every fan, every single Sunday. Club members receive a free buffet. Bowl for a $1 per game at each event. Wear your team’s jer-sey to register to win a $25 FSS gift card every week. Register to win two tickets to an NFL 2017 regu-lar season game of your choice. For more information, call 828-4005.

MondayMacDill Council for Educational Excellence

Military family forum to discuss education concerns to be held at Barrington Middle School from 4-5 p.m. It’s an opportunity for leader-ship to hear directly from parents on problems presented. For more in-fo, call Nelly Richards at 828-0146.

TuesdayAirman & Family Readiness Center

Bundles For Babies from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Representatives from mul-tiple base agencies will provide in-formation and services to assist participants in preparing for the arrival of their new baby. A bundle of information, resources, and a spe-cial gift will be given to all partici-pates. Call 828-0145.

ThursdayAirman & Family Readiness Center

Bereavement Support Group from 3:30-4:30 p.m. If you are cur-rently dealing with the death of a family member or loved one, you are welcome to join this group for in-formation, connection and support. This is a six-week series and partic-ipants must join by the second week of the series. Call 828-0145.

Mark Your Calendar• Oct. 7 – Membership Breakfast • Oct. 8 – UFC Fight Night• Oct. 14 – Inaugural Firefight-

er’s Challenge• Oct. 20 – Membership Lunch/

Oktoberfest• Oct. 21 – Mac”Thrill”ville

Protestant serviceSunday - 9 a.m. FAMCAMP Traditional (Bldg 2017-Raccoon Creek) 11 a.m. ContemporaryThursday - 11 a.m. Liturgical Communion

Islamic serviceFriday - 1:30 p.m. Prayer

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

Sunday - 9:30 a.m. - Mass

Monday-Thursday - 12:10 p.m.

(Blessed Sacrament Room)

For all other faith groups or for any questions, please contact the Chapel by visiting http://www.macdill.af.mil/macdillchapel or calling 828-3621

CHAPEL SCHEDULE

All together now!Members of the 6th Maintenance Group play tug-of-war during Wingman Day at MacDill Air Force Base Sept. 22. Wingman Day focused on the four pillars of Comprehensive Airman Fitness, which includes physical, mental, spiritual, and social pillars of health.

Team MacDill, we want to know how you like to get your news and information.

Whether you prefer social media, a tablet or even like the feeling of picking up a newspaper, here’s your chance to let us know.

The 2016 MacDill Air Force Base Where Airmen Get Their Information survey was created so we can better

understand where our readers get their official infor-mation, whether it is Airmen, civilians, retirees, depen-dents. It also covers the various channels of informa-tion distribution, like the official website vs. Facebook.

The survey will run through the end of October. Don’t miss your chance to have your voice heard!

Go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6amwsurvey

Where do you get your MacDill information? Take our survey


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

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