Thunderbolt 2/09/2023

Vol. 51, No. 6

Thursday, February 9, 2023

News/Features: page 3 Sesame Workshop

News/Features: page 3 AFROTC scholarships

Week in photos: page 4 Images from the week

Expecting and flying - page 8 Photo by Senior Airman Leon Redfern

Community: page 15 Events, Chapel, more...

Maj. Lauren Olme, 77th Weapons Squadron assistant director of operations, and her husband, Maj. Mark Olme, 7th Operations Support Squadron bomb wing weapons officer, pose next to a B-1B Lancer at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 24. Lauren, who is currently pregnant, can continue flying after recently getting approved under the Air Force’s new guidance, which allows female aircrew members to voluntarily request to fly during pregnancy.

COMMENTARY

USTRANSCOM sends more than 60 Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine

by Jonathan Stefanko U.S. Transportation Command Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill.—U.S. Transportation Command is delivering the first shipment of Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine as part of the United States’ $2.85 billion military aid agreement announced earlier this year.

The shipment — containing more than 60 Bradleys — left the shores of North Charleston, South Carolina, last week, and will provide the Ukrainian forces with additional offensive and defensive capabilities to protect their borders against Russia’s illegal invasion.

“The situation in Ukraine really brought to the forefront the importance of logistics and the complexity of power projection and sustainment,” said Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, USTRANSCOM commander, during an interview with Joint Force Quarterly.

“Our support to Ukraine would not be possible without the strong relationships we have with our Allies and Partners that provided the access, basing, and overflight to facilitate the delivery of aid,” she continued.

Bradleys are armored fighting vehicle that transport infantry in combat zones and provide supportive fires. Helping oversee the loading of the equipment is Army Lt. Col. Rebecca D’Angelo, 841st Transportation Battalion commander, who notes that the Bradleys will be essential to Ukraine as the war continues.

“The Bradley is a very powerful vehicle that we are providing to the Ukrainians,” she said. “This is going to hopefully enhance their capabilities to provide forward advancement in the battlefield and regain lost See BRADLEY, Page 13

Photo by Oz Suguitan

A Bradley Fighting Vehicle loads onto the ARC Integrity Jan. 25 at the Transportation Core Dock in North Charleston, South Carolina. More than 60 Bradleys were shipped by U.S. Transportation Command as part of the U.S. military aid package to Ukraine. USTRANSCOM is a combatant command focused on projecting and sustaining military power at a time and place of the nation’s choosing, advancing American interests around the globe.

COMMANDER’S ACTION LINE The Action Line provides two-way communication between the 6th Air Refueling Wing commander and the MacDill community. Personnel may submit questions, concerns or comments via email to macdillwingcommander@us.af.mil or Facebook @6thARWCommandTeam

MacDill Thunderbolt Publisher: Joe Deluca Editor: Nick Stubbs The MacDill Thunderbolt is published by the Times Publishing Company, 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 Defense,

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the Department of the Air Force or the 6th Air Refueling 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 Refueling Wing or the Publishing Company of the products or service advertised.

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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.

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MacDill on the web Website: www.macdill.af.mil Facebook: www.facebook.com/ MacDillAirForceBase Instagram: macdill_afb Twitter: @macdill_afb News items for the MacDill Thunderbolt can be submitted to the 6th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs office, 8208 Hangar Loop Dr., suite 14, MacDill AFB, FL 33621. Call the Thunderbolt at 828-2215. Email: 6arw.pa.macdillthunderbolt@ us.af.mil.

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, clarity, brevity, conformance with the “Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual” and Air Force Instruction 35-101.

NEWS/FEATURES Sesame workshop rolls out self-care content for military families

by Katie Lange DOD News Like many Americans, emotional well-being is something that many military families have said they’re struggling with since the pandemic started, according to Sesame Workshop, which works with the Defense Department to bring information to military families through its websites and free apps.

In response to that, Sesame Workshop has launched new digital resources for military parents and children that offer sim- ple strategies for mental health and self-care. The resources include videos demonstrating the importance of finding the little wins, being flexible with routines, meal planning and even learning how to be still and quiet.

“I know it’s not always easy, and self-care doesn’t always feel attainable,” explained Sesame Workshop’s Tara Wright, who’s a mother of three and a military spouse. “But these resources can be a nice little reminder that taking care of yourself really does help your family, and it can also be done with your family. It doesn’t have to be apart.”

For instance, in one of the videos, Elmo’s mom, Mae, is frustrated when she’s trying to make dinner. Elmo’s dad is away with the National See SESAME, Page 12

Photo courtesy of Sesame Workshop

A video still shows the Muppet Elmo and his father looking toward the camera.

AFROTC scholarship available to all qualified cadets selected to commission Air University Public Affairs COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AFNS)—Air Force senior leaders introduced the Charles McGee Leadership Award to provide tuition or housing assistance to all Air Force ROTC cadets that demonstrate the ability and intent to commission into the Air Force and Space Force during a ceremony held Jan. 27 at the University of Maryland.

The CMLA is a 2-year scholarship to help relieve financial burdens and allow all qualified cadets to focus on their academic and leadership development. Eligible cadets are granted a two-year tuition award of $18,000 per year, or this can be converted to a housing benefit of up to $10,000 per year.

This scholarship will be available to all cadets who have successfully completed field training and entered the Professional Officer Course upon the start of their junior year of college.

“ROTC programs play a vital role in shaping the leaders of tomorrow,” said UMD President Darryll J. Pines. “At the University of Maryland, we are proud to offer a robust ROTC program that develops our students into well-rounded individuals who go on to serve their country and communities with distinction. Expanding scholarships for cadets is a key aspect of this, as it allows them to focus on their education and developSee SCHOLARSHIP, Page 11

Photo by Andy Morataya

Air Force Chief of Staff CQ Brown, Jr., center front, poses for a group photo with University of Maryland ROTC cadets after a ceremony at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, College Park, Md., Jan 27, 2023. Brown was on hand to award the Brig. Gen. Charles McGee Leadership Award.

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WEEK IN PHOTOS Airmen assigned to the 6th Communication Squadron listen to opening remarks prior to the 10th Annual Estelle Memorial Run at MacDill Air Force Base Jan. 27.

The run was dedicated in honor of Maj. Raymond Estelle II, who was one of nine people killed in action on April 27, 2011. Estelle was killed by an Afghan Air Corps pilot while serving on deployment with the 828th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group as the communications advisor for the Afghan force.

Photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Foster

Photo by Tech. Sgt. Alexander Cook

Photo by Airman 1st Class Michael Killian

U.S. Air Force Col. Adam Bingham, 6th Air Refueling Wing commander, left, and Chief Master Sgt. Shae Gee, 6th ARW command chief, right, pose for a photo with Cesar Medina, the 6th Civil Engineer Squadron contracting office representative for pest control and grounds during a private recognition ceremony at MacDill Air Force Base Jan. 31. Medina has served in the U.S. government for 40 years and has been recognized for his honorable service in many different career fields.

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From left to right, U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Bryan Lee, a KC-135 Stratotanker pilot assigned to the 63rd Air Refueling Squadron; U.S. Air Force Capt. John Lewis Elliott, a KC-135 Stratotanker pilot assigned to the 50th Air Refueling Squadron; and Senior Airman Caleb Mills, a boom operator assigned to the 91st Air Refueling Squadron, pose for a group photo on the flight line at MacDill Air Force Base Feb. 1. The three aircrew members flew an air refueling mission to commemorate Black History Month and celebrate the achievements African Americans have made in the U.S. Air Force.

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NEWS/FEATURES

MacDill celebrates Black History Month 6th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs The Department of Defense and MacDill AFB recognizes the bravery and exceptional service of Black military and civilian personnel. This month and throughout the year, we celebrate the richness and diversity of their achievements.

In observance of the 2023 Black History Month, the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute proudly announces the availability of original artwork available for download from DEOMI’s public website, www.defenseculture.mil.

This year’s theme, “Inspiring Change,” epitomizes the contributions of African Americans to challenging racial inequities and promoting opportunities for equal advancement within the African American community.

The 2023 Department of Defense Black History Month poster depicts from left, Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Billy Smith and Clarence Henderson, on the second day of a peaceful sit-

down protest they organized at a Woolworth in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The Greensboro Sit-Ins were the first prominent non-violent sit-in protests of the civil rights movement and lasted from Feb. 1 to July 25, 1960.

The protests led to the Woolworth Department Store chain ending its policy of racial segregation in its stores.

The protest began when McNeil, McCain, Ezell Blair Jr. (later know as Jibreel Khazan), and David Richmond, African American students at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, sat down at a lunch counter inside Woolworth and politely asked for service.

Their request was refused, and they were asked to leave. In response, they chose to remain in their seats. This passive resistance and peaceful sit-down protest helped ignite a youthled movement to challenge racial inequality throughout the South.

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Graphic by the Department of Defense

McNeil went on to become a major general in the U.S. Air Force.

For more, visit www.defenseculture.mil.

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NEWS/FEATURES

Department of the Air Force to conduct hackathon Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (AFNS)—The Department of the Air Force will conduct its next “BRAVO” hackathon March 20 – 24, 2023, this time at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

Any American citizen may apply, regardless of whether they currently work for the Department of the Air Force. Applicants are required to apply online here. Applicants should apply by Feb. 15.

Attendees are not required to hold a security clearance. However, certain spaces, use cases, and datasets may require a U.S. secret security clearance or higher. Organizers may request additional information for clearances that applicants possess. Applicants may apply as an employee for the U.S. government, a U.S. government contractor, or a U.S. citizen either affiliated or unaffiliated with a company.

A hackathon is an innovation event commonly employed by technology companies in which teams develop prototypes working around the clock in response to enterprise challenges associated with data. Prior BRAVO projects have produced multiple prototypes and inventions influencing major Defense Department programs.

See HACKATHON, Page 7

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Photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Tabatha Arellano

Megan Runyan, Quinn Seys, and Parker Brown, 416th Flight Test Squadron weapons integration engineers, work together for data solutions during the Data Hackathon at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Nov. 3, 2021. The event was Air Force Test Center’s first Data Hackathon, solving data problems sponsored by U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, with a goal to broaden the solution reach to have a bigger mission impact.

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HACKATHON From Page 6

Federal government employees and federal contractors representing federal organizations are encouraged to share sponsoring use cases, data, or infrastructure relevant to the primary mission of the Department of Defense for use at this event by contacting SAF.CN.BRAVO@us.af.mil.

“Across the previous hackathons, we have honed methods to build and fight with classified and protected data of increasingly larger size and varied origin,” said Stuart Wagner, chief digital transformation officer for the U.S. Department of the Air Force and hackathon organizer. “Hurlburt Field will prototype joint use cases, data and software infrastructures from combatant commands and various military departments.”

In January 2022, the department ran BRAVO 0, its first departmentwide classified innovation hackathon with Air Force weapons system data at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. BRAVO 1 Canary Release grew the effort when in July 2022, the department ran its second hackathon simultaneously at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia; Patrick Space Force Base, Florida; and Eglin AFB, Florida, with about 300 hackers.

BRAVO allows participants to rapidly commingle and run open-source software and data otherwise unapproved for production with classified or protected data.

“BRAVO moves from the traditional DoD development model operating at the unclassified level where we push code up to protected environments, to a permissive development model on protected data, which we refer to as ‘Dev High,’” Wagner said. “This enables developers to build weapons’ capabilities and calibrations directly with the data at lower cost compared to traditional prototyping pipelines and at a rate faster

than an adversary is likely to build countering capability. This event will test how ‘Dev High’ scales to joint multi-domain use cases.”

Applicants looking to participate may do so in one of three roles. The “Hacker” role is open to all applicants and expects project builders with varying skill sets and experience, including software development, data science, machine learning, design and user interface/user design, data visualization, product management or warfighter subject matter expertise.

The “Subject Matter Expert” role is open only to government and government contractors and supports multiple teams with specific expertise or knowledge about a use case or dataset offered at the event. Any federal organization is eligible to supply a use case or dataset for consideration.

The “Supporter” role is open only to government and government contractors and provides administrative support to the event by running security, facilitating supplies delivery, organizing social events, and facilitating the delivery of science fair materials and attendee check-in.

Organizations providing infrastructure support include the “STITCHES” Warfighter Application Team, the Navy Project Overmatch program, Project Arc, Office of the Secretary of Defense Advana Edge and Air Force Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office. All five U.S. military services and U.S. Special Operations Command provide use cases and data.

The BRAVO hackathon series is named after “Project B,” a 1921 series of joint Army-Navy target exercises based on Army Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell’s then-controversial claim that bombers sink battleships.

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Maj. Lauren Olme, 77th Weapons Squadron assistant director of operations, and her husband, Maj. Mark Olme, 7th Operations Support Squadron bom B-1B Lancer at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 24. Lauren, who is currently pregnant, can continue flying after recently getting approved under the A

New AF pregnant aircrew policy means new achievement for

by Senior Airman Leon Redfern 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS)—As Maj. Lauren Olme, 77th Weapons Squadron assistant director of operations, fires up the engines of a B-1 Lancer on Dyess Air Force Base, she is living out her lifelong dream of being a pilot. In addition to that dream, she achieved a new feat that will impact future generations of servicewomen: Flying while pregnant.

Lauren garnered her passion for flying by watching her father fly as a pilot in the Air Force.

“My dad flew (F-15C Eagles), so I instantly fell in love with flying and the Air Force culture at a pretty young age,” Lauren said. “There was never really a time that I officially decided I wanted to join the Air Force, it was just something I always wanted to do.”

Lauren met her husband, Maj. Mark Olme, 7th Operations Support Squadron bomb wing weapons officer, while attending the Air Force Academy. They became fast friends and started dating in November of 2011, eventually getting married seven months after graduation.

“We were navigating being newlyweds while both going through Undergraduate Pilot Training,” Lauren said. “Both of our flight commanders were B-1 pilots, and the bomber community combined a lot of aspects that we both wanted out of flying. We were extremely fortunate to both get assigned the B-1 out of UPT and haven’t regretted it for a second!”

After completing training at Dyess AFB, the Olmes moved to Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, and 8

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over the next few years journeyed to several assig Force to Andersen AFB, Guam, multiple at Nellis A Air Base, Qatar. In 2020 they completed the Air Fo ons School course.

“Lauren and I have been very blessed with the o and go on multiple month-long exercises together,” then add competing with your wife, who is better share some special moments together because of i In August 2022, Lauren and Mark found out th ily.

“I was honestly shocked when we found out I wa few months and I somewhat expected another neg ing out it was positive, holding that secret from M person.”

Despite being pregnant, Lauren still longed to members may voluntarily request to fly during second trimester with an uncomplicated pregnan criteria are met. All pregnant aircrew members ar trimester, aircraft or flight profile.

Photo by Senior Airman Leon Redfern

mb wing weapons officer, pose for a photo next to a Air Force’s new guidance.

B-1 pilot, others

gnments together. They deployed on a Bomber Task AFB, Nevada, and a combat deployment to Al Udeid orce’s version of “Top Gun,” the U.S. Air Force Weap-

opportunity to be stationed together, deploy together ” Mark said. “The aviation world is stressful enough, r than you, for everything! However, we have got to it.” hey would be adding one more member to their fam-

as pregnant,” Lauren said. “We had been trying for a gative test. I tested right before work and after findMark all day was torture, but I wanted to tell him in

fly. Last year, a new Air Force policy stated aircrew pregnancy and no waiver is required to fly in the ncy in a non-ejection seat aircraft if all flight safety re also authorized to apply for a waiver regardless of See PREGNANCY, Page 10

Courtesy photo Maj. Lauren Olme, 77th Weapons Squadron assistant director of operations, and her husband, Maj. Mark Olme, 7th Operations Support Squadron bomb wing weapons officer, pose with an ultrasound photo of their child at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 24. Lauren, who is currently pregnant, can continue flying after recently getting approved under the Air Force’s new guidance, which allows female aircrew members to voluntarily request to fly during pregnancy.

PREGNANCY From Page 8

“I can’t overexpress how amazing it is that pregnant women now have the opportunity to fly in all types of aircraft,” Lauren said. “It’s a very personal decision that Mark and I made together because there are risks involved in flying the B-1 while pregnant but after conferring with Air Force and civilian medical doctors, we felt comfortable with me flying for a few weeks.”

Aircrew members who wish to fly while pregnant are informed of the risks to themselves, the fetus, the safety of flight, and mission, consistent with all medical conditions.

The approval is granted through joint consent of the aviator, obstetrics provider, flight surgeon, and commander.

“This policy is a huge benefit to the Air Force. They have deliberately made a change that provides female aircrew members the same opportunities as male aircrew members,” said Lt. Col. Charles Armstrong, 77th WPS commander. “This allows female aviators to continue building up their qualifications and flight hours to progress in their career field through pregnancy. It was based on years of analysis and research from aircrew physiologists both in the Air Force and outside agencies to make the determination that it is safe and acceptable for women to fly a longer period than they have done in the past.”

This allows the member to weigh out the pros and cons, ultimately deciding for themselves whether they want to fly or not.

“One of my biggest reservations about getting pregnant while being on a flying assignment was the time away from the cockpit, so having the opportunity to continue to fly and not take as much time out of the jet is a great thing,” Lauren said. “The policy allows for aviators to fly up to 28 weeks, but for various reasons my medical team decided it best to stop around the 22-week point, so that is all the flying I’ll do with our baby.”

Baby Olme, who is expected to arrive in April 2023, has become one of the first babies in the Defense Department to clock 9.2 hours in a supersonic aircraft.

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SCHOLARSHIP From Page 3

ment without the added stress of financial burden. This investment in ROTC is an investment into the future of our nation.”

Named after Brig. Gen. Charles McGee, a fighter pilot and Tuskegee Airman during World War II, CMLA marks a significant change in how scholarships are awarded and represents a valuable tool for AFROTC leadership to grant financial assistance to qualified cadets who had not previously received a scholarship upon entry into the program.

Historically, only approximately 40% of AFROTC cadets within the program were on some form of AFROTC scholarship. In addition, over 95% were awarded to promising high school seniors with the remainder allocated to in-college freshmen and sophomore cadets. There were virtually no opportunities for cadets to obtain a scholarship after the sophomore year.

With CMLA, now 100% of all qualified cadets in their junior and senior years will be eligible for this scholarship.

“Financial stress is one of the leading reasons that prevent otherwise driven and committed cadets from commissioning, so, for those cadets and prospective cadets, it is no longer a question of if you will get financial help through a high school or in-college scholarship—the Charles McGee Leadership Awards makes it a matter of when you receive a scholarship,” said Col. Corey Ramsby, AFROTC commander. “We want cadets to focus the remainder of their time in AFROTC on development of their leadership acumen and academic course of study, rather than financial barriers.”

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. attended the ceremony, along with members of McGee’s family, to mark this barrier-breaking change for countless AFROTC cadets to come.

“Gen. McGee and the Tuskegee Airmen are my personal heroes, and the creation of the Charles McGee Leadership Award ensures their legacy lives on,” Brown said.

“Through hard work and dedication, the Tuskegee Airmen gained a reputation as some of the fiercest fighters in American history, and proved, if given the opportunity, they could reach their full potential,” he explained. “The CMLA is one way we can support those who demonstrate talent and desire to serve on their path to careers in the Air or Space Force.”

The general requirements and key details of the CMLA: Cadets must meet basic academic, physical, and medical requirements of the Air Force ROTC program Cadets must complete field training. Exception: CMLA recipients with an approved Field Training deferment may activate the CMLA if all other activation criteria are met.

Cadets must be selected to enter the Professional Officer Course, typically those entering the junior year or those with two or fewer academic years of college remaining.

The CMLA awards up to $18,000 per year per cadet for tuition.

CMLA may be converted to a housing benefit of up to $10,000 per year for two years.

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SESAME From Page 3

Guard, and Elmo really wants his mother to play with him. In that moment, Mae decides she’s going to keep things simple and order a pizza, instead.

“She makes the choice right there: ‘I don’t I don’t have to do it all,’” Wright said. “We know that every night can’t be pizza night, but, in that particular moment, her act of self-care was setting aside a routine that was causing her a lot of stress and instead focusing on spending time with Elmo.”

Wright, who’s raising three boys under age 5 while her Marine Corps husband is on temporary duty, said she definitely finds the videos relatable. After all, while children will enjoy the videos for the Sesame Street connection, the underlying messages are really for the parents.

“These are definitely giving some modeling and encouragement to parents that it’s okay to not be at our best all the time and that there are manageable, approachable things that we can do to feel a little bit better,” Wright said. “My kids don’t always understand why I feel frustrated … but they do understand that I’m making the choice to connect with them. I think that’s what the kids will see in these videos and, especially, what parents will see.”

Sesame Workshop has several other military-related resources, including those that can support families dealing with deployments, longterm caregiving, transition to civilian life, grief and more. A military spouse and mother of three named Alexis told Sesame Workshop that when her husband was away on temporary duty, it was hard for her to explain to her 3-year-old why he couldn’t see his dad. The Sesame Workshop resources that focus on temporary duty really helped, Alexis said.

“It’s almost like watching the stages of grief take place — they get angry, they get sad, they’re trying to work through big feelings that they don’t understand,” Alexis said. “Having someone like Elmo who’s going through this, too … They can relate to how he’s having a hard time and look up to how he’s dealing with it. Just knowing that you’re not alone in this from someone as relatable as Elmo — it’s so comforting to have that.”

For a lot of the families, it’s the examples of everyday situations that have resonated with them.

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Photo courtesy of Sesame Workshop

A video still shows two Muppets talking while using crayons.

“I think military families—everybody thanks us for our service, but, so often, the day-to-day challenges are not really well understood,” Wright said. “It’s really those day-to-day things that we’ve heard from families who say they’re just really appreciative that they’re being represented, and they feel seen.”

The Sesame Workshop resources are free to families and providers and are available in English and Spanish at the Sesame Street for Military Families website and atsesamestreetincommunities.org.

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BRADLEY From Page 2

grounds, by having equipment that matches or exceeds what the Russians have.”

Along with the 60 Bradleys, the Biden Administration has announced an additional $2.5 billion in security assistance, comprising more fighting vehicles, ammunition, missiles, and Stryker armored personnel carriers. This brings the total U.S. contribution to the effort to $27.1 billion since the Russian invasion began in February 2022.

“In addition to the large security assistance package announced [mid-January] by the Department of Defense with significant additional air defense and armor capabilities for Ukraine, multiple nations announced similar significant support to include Germany and Netherlands’ contributions of Patriot missile air defense capabilities, Canada’s procurement of a [National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System] and the United Kingdom’s donation of Challenger 2 tanks … just to name a few,” a senior defense official said during a background briefing.

While this is short of a complete list of equipment and nations aiding Ukraine, the influx of materiel is crucial as Russia’s attacks near the Donetsk province city of Bakhmut escalate.

“The Ukraine operations underscore the importance of having an agile mobility force, with both a strategic airlift fleet that can delivery immediately, within hours of notification, and the available sealift that can deliver a much greater volume of materiel that is essential to delivering and sustaining a decisive force,” Van Ovost said.

“Working across the enterprise to draw equipment from different locations across the globe, transport it into Europe, and transfer it to our partners that take it directly to the battlefield has been a remarkable feat and demonstrates the value of our partnerships,” she said.

USTRANSCOM exists as a warfighting combatant command to project and sustain military power at a time and place of the nation’s choosing. Powered by dedicated men and women, TRANSCOM underwrites the lethality of the Joint Force, advances American interests around the globe, and provides our nation’s leaders with strategic flexibility to select from multiple options while creating numerous dilemmas for our adversaries.

Photo by Oz Suguitan

A convoy of Bradley Fighting Vehicles load onto the ARC Integrity Jan. 25 at the Transportation Core Dock in North Charleston, South Carolina.

More than 60 Bradleys were shipped by U.S. Transportation Command as part of the U.S. military aid package to Ukraine. USTRANSCOM is a combatant command focused on projecting and sustaining military power at a time and place of the nation’s choosing, advancing American interests around the globe.

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COMMUNITY

EVENTS

MacDill Youth Center survey The MacDill Youth Center would like to hear your feedback. Visit surveymonkey.com/r/79KPVTB and answer this short 5 question survey.

Upcoming M&FRC events • Feb. 14 – Private Industry Resume Writing • Feb. 16 – Let’s Talk Credit • Feb. 17 – LinkedIn Visit macdillfss.com/militaryfamily-readiness/ for more information.

February tase theater m Your MacDill Base Library will be offering free movies at the Base Theater. Movies are open to anyone with base access to MacDill. For a complete movie schedule, log onto macdillfss.com/library/.

Open FSS positions available Looking for a sweetheart of a career working with military families? Positions are open for teens ages 14 and up, dependents, retirees and active duty looking to work full or part- time. No prior base access required. Visit macdillfss.com/ open- jobs/ to see current job openings and apply today!

Become a Secret Shopper Get paid to call or visit 6th Force Support Squadron facilities. To learn more, call or email the 6th FSS Marketing Deptartment at 828- 2513 or sixfssfsk@gmail.com.

Find more events at: macdillfss.com

Champ of the Week

Photo by Airman 1st Class Michael Killian

U.S. Air Force Col. Adam Bingham, 6th Air Refueling Wing commander, left, and Chief Master Sgt. Shae Gee, 6th ARW command chief, right, pose for a photo with Brandi Moss, unit program coordinator for the 6th Civil Engineer Squadron, during the Champ of the Week recognition at MacDill Air Force Base Jan. 31. Moss is currently serving as the squadron secretary, which requires her to coordinate multiple task reviews and strategic messages.

CHAPEL SCHEDULE Normal Hours- Monday - Friday - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. After hours chaplain, call the Command Post at 828-4362/4361.

Protestant services - Sunday - 11 a.m.

Jewish - Monthly Lunch and Learn: For schedule & to join distro, please contact elimelach.estrin@us.af.mil

Monday-Wednesday Mass - 12:10 p.m.

www.macdill.af.mil/chapel

Islamic Service - Friday 1:30 p.m. (space reserved)

Catholic Mass - Sunday - 9:30 a.m.

Other Faith Groups - Please contact the Chapel at (813)

(confessions by appointment)

828-3621 or via email at 6ARW.HCADMIN@us.af.mil

For more details and information, visit the Chapel Facebook page at http://www.facebook/6amwhc/ or MacDill’s Chapel website is: https://www.macdill.af.mil/chapel MACDILL THUNDERBOLT

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Thursday, February 9, 2023

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WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM

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WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM

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Thursday, February 9, 2023

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MACDILL THUNDERBOLT