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MacDill aircrew inspires next generation at 2022 UCT Sapphire Event
by Airman 1st Class Lauren Cobin 6th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA, Fla.—Pilots, boom operators and maintainers from the 6th Air Refueling Wing inspired the next generation of Airmen by highlighting the capabilities of the KC-135 Stratotanker during the 2022 Undergraduate Combat Systems Officer Training Sapphire Event at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, on March 11.
Junior ROTC members, ROTC members, undergraduate combat systems officers and community partners spent time exploring the aircraft with the aircrew from the 91st Air Refueling Squadron assigned to MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.
Senior Airman Bryan Arias, a boom operator assigned to the 91st ARS , felt the experience made him appreciate his job even more.
“I think it’s beneficial to have these events and show people what we do,” said Arias. “Before I joined the Air Force, I had no idea that the KC-135 even existed and now I get to explain that it plays a huge [and] important role in all types of operations within the Air Force.”
The following day, a group of ROTC students from Florida State University joined the 91st on an orientation flight to experience an air refueling training mission over the Southeastern United States.
See SAPPHIRE, Page 12
Photo by Airman 1st Class Lauren Cobin
A group of Florida State University ROTC cadets and U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Tim Reed, a pilot assigned to the 91st Air Refueling Squadron, pose for a photo near a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to MacDill Air Force Base at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, March 12. The students flew in the MacDill aircraft as part of an orientation flight to strengthen relations and bolster community support.
by Airman 1st Class Michael Killian 6th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
Airmen from the 6th Air Refueling Wing recognized the accomplishments and struggles of women, both past and present, at a Women’s History Month luncheon, March 11, inside the chapel annex.
Women’s History Month is celebrated every March, seeking to raise awareness of the contributions of women throughout history. The observance started as a one-day event in 1978 that later evolved into a weeklong celebration. Nearly a decade after its inception, it is now celebrated for the entirety of a month.
MacDill celebrated this occasion by inviting April Arnold, a Tampa Bay local women’s advocate, to be a key guest at the luncheon. She spoke to Airmen about her story and spread the message of women’s empowerment.
She spoke about her story of resilience and how she gives back to those in need. Her childhood was plagued by abuse, drugs and sexual exploitation, but through her strength and faith, she has remained 14 years clean. She is now a full-time employee Created Tampa, a nonprofit committed to assisting outreach programs and providing community assistance to those in a position she once was in.
Photo by Airman 1st Class Michael Killian
