Thunderbolt 7/11/2024

Vol. 52, No. 27

Thursday, July 11, 2024

News/Features: page 3 AMC ‘shot clock’

News/Features: page 3 Doctrine update

Week in photos: page 4 Images from the week

Photo by Tech. Sgt. Alexander Cook

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

The Honorable Ashish S. Vazirani, under secretary of defense for Personnel and Readiness greets U.S. Air Force Se-nior Airman Jacob Kraus, 6th Security Forces Squadron marine patrolman, during his tour at MacDill Air Force Base June 25. During his visit, Vazirani experienced how the 6th SFS marine patrol unit defenders protect over 7 miles of MacDill’s coastline from outside threats.

NEWS/FEATURES

22 ARW completes first 45-hour nonstop KC-46 flight around world

by Airman Paula Arce 22nd Air Refueling Wing public Affairs MCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.—A 22nd Air Refueling Wing KC-46A Pegasus executed the world’s first nonstop, KC-46A Pegasus westbound circumnavigation endurance flight, called Project Magellan, June 29-July 1 starting and finishing here.

This flight was the latest Maximum Endurance Operation (MEO) for the KC-46A Pegasus, Air Mobility Command’s newest tanker aircraft.

Overall, MEOs extend aircraft missions in both time and aircrew, to enable greater capabilities and greater reach over greater distances. In doing so, MEOs enable Air Mobility Command to surge personnel, supplies and aircraft to sustain initial operations and project and connect the Joint Force, anywhere in the world. The foundation of Rapid Global Mobility is fuel, provided by tankers.

“Maximum Endurance Operations are all about overcoming the tyranny of distance: with a 48-hour duty day, you can literally fly across the world,” said Capt. Cody Donahue, 22nd Operations Group executive officer, who has been See 22 ARW, Page 7

Photo by Airman 1st Class Gavin Hameed

A 350th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135R Stratotanker from McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, refuels a McConnell KC-46A Pegasus over the United Kingdom, July 1,. The KC-46 was taking part in a 45-hour Maximum Endurance Operation, called Project Magellan, launching June 29 from McConnell Air Force Base, flying westward, non-stop, around the world and landing back at McConnell July 1.

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.

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NEWS/FEATURES

AMC ‘shot clock’ marks countdown to close out Mobility Guardian lessons learned

by Maj. Beau Downey Air Mobility Command Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill.—In the commander’s office at Air Mobility Command headquarters, there is clock hung on the wall.

It’s easy to miss when you first walk in the room because it’s off to the side, in sight of the desk and framed between chairs where the commander sits and meets with staff and guests. In bold red numbers, it counts down, ticking away the seconds and creating a palpable and unrelenting sense of urgency on its way to zero.

The clock has been in place for much of Gen. Mike Minihan’s tenure as commander, having originally been installed to pace the command for the start of Exercise Mobility Guardian 2023, the Air Force’s premier multinational mobility exercise. Next, the clock counted down to June 30 -- the deadline Minihan set for the command to close out priority initiatives from the exercise.

“Bottom line here is we are driving a headquarters to action that can handle continued support for global operations and still make See SHOT CLOCK Page 6

Photo by Senior Airman Keegan Putman

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Ian Allen, 305th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS) flying crew chief, left, Airman 1st Class Logan Long, middle, and Senior Airman Braden Russel, right, 6th Airlift Squadron (AS) loadmasters, lower the ramp on a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at an auxiliary field near Anderson Air Force Base, Guam in support of Valiant Shield 2024 June 10.

LeMay Center, AMC announce major update to Air Mobility Operations Doctrine

by Senior Master Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger Air University Public Affairs MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. — The Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education and Air Mobility Command collaborated on significant revisions to the just-released Air Force Doctrine Publication 3-36, Air Mobility Operations, reflecting the service’s renewed commitment to maneuverability and lethality.

The publication’s first major revision in five years also reflects the evolving strategic environment and re-emphasizes the importance of the joint functions of maneuver, sustainment and command and control. These principles are critical to preparing the mobility air forces to effectively position the joint force for advantage and deliver lethal effects at the tempo reSee DOCTRINE Page 11

Photo by Staff Sgt. Tristen Miller

A KC-135 Stratotanker from the 121st Air Refueling Wing refuels a C-17 Globemaster III during sunset, May 30. The KC-135 enables the C-17’s mission of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area.

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WEEK IN PHOTOS

U.S. Air Force photo

An Airman hits a home run during an Army vs Air Force softball game at an undisclosed location within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, July 3. The two teams were coached by former Washington Nationals players Doug Fister and Adam Eaton. The game was held to celebrate Independence Day.

Photo by Senior Airman Sterling Sutton

U.S. Air Force photo

A plaque is displayed to honor Col. Melvin B. Asp’s accomplishments during a building dedication ceremony at MacDill Air Force Base June 27.

Asp served as the first commander of the Drew Field Army Air Base, now Tampa International Airport, and is known for his design of the first successful small plane called the Asplane.

U.S. Air Force aerial porters load munitions onto a C-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 155th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at an undisclosed location within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, April 24. The U.S. Air Force is globally postured to protect and defend freedom of coalition allies and regional partners within the CENTCOM area of responsibility to maintain peace and stability across the region.

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NEWS/FEATURES

The Washington Nationals visit the 379th AEW

by Senior Airman Zachary Foster United States Air Forces Central

U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY—Former Washington Nationals players Adam Eaton and Doug Fister, the team’s mascot Screech, and several team representatives visited the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing on July 3-4, 2024, to commemorate Independence Day. The Nationals explored various career fields across the installation, including static display tours of a KC-135 Stratotanker and a C-17 Globemaster III. They spent some time with explosive ordnance disposal technicians from the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, participated in a military working dog demonstration with handlers from the 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, and joined a ride-along with firefighters from the 379th ECES. During the visit, the Nationals invited a 379th

U.S. Air Force photo

Former Washington Nationals players Doug Fister and Adam Eaton talk with a 350th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron maintenance technician at an undisclosed location within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, July 3. The players came to CENTCOM to show their See NATIONALS, Page 14 appreciation and help to boost morale across the installation.

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SHOT CLOCK From Page 3

good on the investment from Mobility Guardian to benefit the joint force,” Minihan said.

Last year saw the largest iteration of Mobility Guardian ever, marking the first time it was focused on and conducted in the Indo-Pacific.

Thousands of participants across millions of square miles of ocean and terrain validated previously identified gaps and explored new tactics, techniques, and procedures -- all within a realistic environment that forced joint participants to face the realities of contested logistics.

Speaking during a September 2023 interview with Air and Space Forces Magazine about how the exercise was designed, Minihan said, “We just let the real world be the real world.”

The capstone event answered key questions: Can the Mobility Air Force proactively respond to the environment to shape it for unfair advantage? Can it overcome siloed missions and roles?

And perhaps most fundamentally, can it explode into theater with the mass, tempo, and sustainment needed to enable the joint force to win?

The answers to these questions aren’t rhetorical. They played out during real-world events, and the remaining work to be done existed in a 10-line list of priorities AMC was tracking to build “irreversible momentum” toward the next iteration of the exercise and beyond.

Each effort reflected key lessons learned that broadly fit into four major categories: data, decisions, development and discipline. Getting to the right solutions for each item can require adjusting current procedures, leveraging existing technologies, or if needed, developing entirely new capabilities.

“The 10-line was the main effort at AMC since August 2023, ensuring that we put real effort behind changing lessons observed in Mobility Guardian to lessons learned,” said Brig Gen Corey Simmons, AMC Director of Strategy, Plans, Requirements, and Programs and the general officer mentor for several lines of effort.

“It is amazing how much can get done when the entire staff gets behind specific and defined tasks and make the main thing the main thing.”

This is what the clock counted down to: taking the list from 10 to zero -- either by completion or by moving the initiative into a normal state of governance within the command staff.

One of the top priorities on the list was focusing on improving command relationships -- the 6

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Photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua T. Crossman

Maj. Christian Brechbuhl, far right, Air Mobility Command mission systems deputy director, briefs senior leaders about the Airlift Tanker Open Mission Systems program on a C-17 Globemaster III April 24, on the flightline at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The ATOMS program is a part of Gen. Mike Minihan’s, AMC commander, 25x25 initiative to connect 25% of the mobility fleet by 2025.

The ATOMS program will give mobility crews situational awareness and better survivability, upgrading our communication abilities and in-flight internet access so that mobility aircraft can communicate with the Joint Force while in flight. interrelated responsibilities between commanders. As the MAF balances high global operational demand with future planning requirements, the ability to comfortably navigate relationships while supporting force generation models across the services at the speed of relevance is critical.

“I don’t think it’s asking too much that our Airmen know who they are working for and what their priorities are,” Minihan said.

Another major, and decidedly urgent priority is something the command is calling “25 by 25,” which is a goal to deliver robust connectivity capabilities to at least a quarter of the fleet by 2025 to kickstart connectivity ahead of the traditional budgeting cycle.

“Our force requires connectivity, survivability, and agility,” said Minihan in his Beyond the Manifesto. To his Headquarters staff he continued, “Close those gaps so that we can meet the tempo and mass of combat.”

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As the clock approached zero, Mobility Airmen were crossing items off the list and translating lessons learned into real-world effects. They were getting what Minihan calls “sets and reps” with mission-type orders and leaning in on navigating command relationships to develop “trust between the cockpit and the headquarters.”

The recent iteration of Exercise Valiant Shield, another Indo-Pacific event, saw MAF participants demonstrate maximum endurance operations and specialized fueling operations that showcase versatility to maneuver the joint force.

“This is three years of effort with enormous joint equities at stake,” Minihan said prior to the clock expiring. “We are investing in culture, and when this countdown hits zero, we will have marked the next step on a long journey toward solidifying a warfighter’s mindset that leverages mobility and maneuver for lethality.”

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planning Project Magellan for months. “In an era of Great Power Competition, crews need the ability to operate longer than they have in the past, and Project Magellan is the next step in getting AMC crews experience in the game-changing new construct that is MEO.” McConnell coordinated receiver aircraft during the mission to demonstrate its ability to operate as a tanker during MEO. During this flight, the KC-46 refueled Air Force B-2 Spirit bombers, C-17 Globemaster III airlifters, F-15E Strike Eagles and another KC-46.

The operation also exemplified Team McConnell’s progress in developing and advancing KC-46 capabilities, since receiving its first KC-46s in 2019.

Onboard the global KC-46 flight were: Col. Brent Toth, aircraft commander; Capt. Cody Donahue, instructor pilot; Capt. Daison Batangan, instructor pilot; Capt. T.J. Buckley, instructor plot; Master Sgt Jonathan Lauterbach instructor boom operator; Master Sgt Patrick Murray, instructor boom operator; Capt. Jacob Heyrend, flight surgeon; Staff Sgt Alejandro Melendez, flying crew chief; and Staff Sgt Dustin Shaffer, flying crew chief.

“It goes without saying that we will be accomplishing training in our primary roles as tanker pilots,” Donahue said. “Our pilots will be conducting multiple heavyweight onloads and our boom operators will be refueling several different types of aircraft throughout the flight.”

Team McConnell also exhibited its ability to Explode Into Theater – or multiple theaters in this case -- by coordinating with three other military bases around the world to pre-position several of the wing’s tankers to refuel the KC-46 enroute so it could fly for 45 hours straight.

Two KC-46’s were sent to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, one KC-135 Stratotanker to RAF Mildenhall, England, and one KC-135 to the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility, in order to rendezvous with the globe-trotting aircraft to resupply their much-needed fuel. Backing up the 22nd ARW airbridge was a KC-135 from 100th ARW out of Mildenhall and a KC-135 deployed from the Utah Air National Guard.

“Not only is the duration of this sortie notable, but we are completing it with just two basic crews,” said Donahue. “Previously, three pilots were able to fly as an ‘augmented’ crew for up to 24 hours. Going forward, AMC is looking to have a crew of four pilots operating for up to 48 hours.”

The command remains focused on providing Mobility Air Forces warfighters with the resources and capabilities required to perform effectively during high-pace operational environment and max-endurance missions.

Namely, long duty days call for safety measures. Capt. Jacob Heyrend, 349th Air Refueling Squadron flight surgeon, was on board to ensure the health, safety and performance of the crew.

“Goals for this flight were to see the combined capabilities of a modern tanker and augmented crews, pushing the brink of human performance,” Heyrend said. “The final goal I had for the flight was to maintain crew, flight and mission safety and health as the aeromedical element.”

See 22 ARW, Page 11

Courtesy Photo

Two 22nd Air Refueling Wing pilots fly a KC-46A Pegasus from McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, that is participating in a Maximum Endurance Flight around the globe called Project Magellan June 30. Magellan was the world’s first nonstop, KC-46 westbound circumnavigation endurance flight that took off from McConnell June 29 and landed again July 1.

Courtesy Photo

The sun shines on clouds outside of a KC-46A Pegasus from McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, that is participating in a Maximum Endurance Flight around the globe called Project Magellan June 30. Magellan was the world’s first nonstop, KC-46 westbound circumnavigation endurance flight that took off from McConnell June 29 and landed again July 1.

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U.S. Air Force aircrew members assigned to the 6th Airlift Squadron run to a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III while conducting Flush checklist proce Shield 2024 June 14. The Flush checklist is designed for an aircrew to get an aircraft’s engines running in minimal amount of time and ready for depart as Valiant Shield allow the Indo-Pacific Command Joint Forces the opportunity to integrate forces from all branches of service and with our allies to multi-domain effects that demonstrate the strength and versatility of the Joint Force and our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

VS24: Air Mobility Task Force takes on the Pacific

by Chris Bishop Air Mobility Command Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill.—Across the vast and tyrannous distances of the Pacific, Air Mobility Command supported the 10th iteration of exercise Valiant Shield 24, a biennial joint and—for the first time—multinational field training exercise in the Indo-Pacific region, June 7-18, 2024.

The exercise included nine wings from across AMC, each bringing different mission-sets to exercise and challenges to overcome. VS24 was led by the United States Navy’s Pacific Fleet.

Units from across the Department of Defense participated during VS24, integrating between U.S. and ally and partner forces at various levels while operating in realistic, sometimes degraded, environments.

For AMC, this meant continuing momentum from previous exercises such as Mobility Guardian 23 and gaining ground toward future exercises.

According to Capt. Tommy Takao, a pilot with 6th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, and the C-17 planner for VS24, the opportunity to practice Joint and combined training is rare. “[Valiant Shield] showcases our commitment and our dedication to our allied and partner nations here in the Pacific and it also shows our 8 u WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM u Thursday, July 11, 2024 u MACDILL THUNDERBOLT

ability to show up in mass and move cargo to where it needs to go to support the Joint Force,” he said. “We got our departure order, sent half our force element out with about 140 people and we were then able to regenerate within a very short time span upon landing at Yokota.”

Explode Into Theater AMC is postured to provide maneuver and flexibility for the Joint Force in times of crisis. VS24 showcased Mobility Air Forces’ newly developed techniques, tactics and procedures to rapidly deploy or redeploy into theater.

One of these new tactics are Mass Endurance Operations. What was previously unprecedented is increasingly becoming standard practice—aircrew and aircraft flying for extended periods to achieve maximum combat effectiveness in fast-pace operational environments.

The 317th Airlift Wing, Dyess Air Force Base, entered the Indo-Pacific with mass, tempo and sustainment during a 22.6-hour MEO. The wing brought four C-130J’s across the continental United States and the Pacific Ocean to land at Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, for Valiant Shield.

Endurance operations such as this align with core objectives from the Agile Combat Employment concept, which is shifting operations from centralized infrastructure to dispersed locations and sustaining combat power in contested environments.

See VS24, Page 16

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Photo by Senior Airman Keegan Putman

Photo by Senior Airman Keegan Putman

cedures on Yokota Air Base, Japan in support of Valiant ture predicated on an imminent threat. Exercises such conduct precise, lethal, and overwhelming multi-axis,

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Braden Russel, 6th Airlift Squadron (AS) loadmaster, ensures a safe engine start for a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at Yokota Air Base, Japan in support of Valiant Shield 2024 June 10.

Photo by Airman 1st Class Emma Anderson

U.S. Air Force Maj. Victor Conde, 40th Airlift Squadron evaluator pilot and mission commander, flies a C-130J Super Hercules during an extended Maximum Endurance Operation, June 5. The MEO to Guam was completed in 22.6 hours of flight time in support of Valiant Shield 2024.

FEATURES Air University Highlight: From high school dropout to ROTC commander

by SA Evan Lichtenhan Air University Public Affairs MAXWELL AIR FORCE B A S E — Fr o m dropping out of high school to commanding an ROTC detachment, Lt. Col. David Richardson proved that in the U.S. Air Force, hard work can pay off.

Richardson works as the commander of Air Force ROTC Detachment 025 at Arizona State University.

“I support the mission by ensuring we develop leaders of character for the Air & Space Forces to fight and win our nation’s wars,” Richardson said.

Richardson grew up surrounded by Air Force culture, with his father being a retired senior master sergeant in the avionics field.

“My Air Force interest started with my father,” Richardson said. “He genuinely seemed to enjoy his job, and that was enticing for me. After I dropped out of high school, I quickly realized my career prospects were dim.

The Air Force provided the structure and direction I needed to turn my life around.”

In his early years, he found himself out of high school, not knowing what he wanted to do with his future. Although he decided to join the Air Force, that came with its own challenges.

“I was the biggest obstacle to a successful career,” he said. “I was so immature and self-centered as a young person; it nearly sabotaged my Air Force career before it even started. Within my first year in the Air Force, I received eight LORs and a UIF. When the group commander ordered a handful of Airmen to be transferred from my squadron to a new one, I was one of the Airmen chosen. My new squadron commander, Lt. Col. Sam Rosado, looked at my UIF and said, ‘Some of this you deserved, and some of this is just the snowball rolling downhill. I am throwing all of it out.’ Fast forward a few years, as a young and very experienced NCO, I was still selfishly motivated, worried about how decisions would affect me and my career. At some point, a switch happened for me, and I focused on others and their sucSee ROTC, Page 13

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22 ARW From Page 7

The crew collaborated with a third-party contractor to enroll the crew in a fatigue study. The contractors have experience working with elite sports professionals, NASA and other international space station astronauts.

“They utilize validated metrics, such as the Psychomotor Vigilance Testing,” Heyrend said. “The aircrew self-administered these tests at certain points in the sleep-wake cycle and when prompted by me, or self-initiated utilizing proprietary software. I also performed various ad hoc cognitive assessments in flight, many of which were components of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. I observed task response as well to gain a whole person perspective of each crew member.”

The four pilots and two boom operators aboard the flight took turns resting and relieved their counterparts at set intervals, taking advantage of the built-in bunk beds on the tanker.

As the first main operating base for the KC-46, McConnell has refined its approach to the Air Force’s newest tanker to provide rapid airlift, air refueling and aeromedical evacuation for the Joint Force. Successfully flying its longest KC-46 MEO yet is a testament to the hard work of the Team McConnell Airmen.

“The 22nd ARW’s recent MEO around the world showcased not only the unmatched endurance of the KC-46 aircraft, but also the incredible

resilience and professionalism of our aircrew,” said Col. Cory Damon, 22nd ARW commander, who was onboard the final tanker refueling this worldwide KC-46 flight. “This mission was a true test of our capabilities and a shining example of the critical role our tankers play in providing fuel and support to the Joint Force. I’m incredibly proud of our team’s achievement in pushing the boundaries of what our tankers and their crews can do, and I have no doubt that this historic mission will serve as a foundation for future maximum endurance operations and further solidify our position as a key enabler of global power projection.”

Also, on board that last tanker in the global airbridge refueling the around-the-world KC-46 flight was Brig. Gen. Gerald Donohue, Director of Operations, Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, observing this latest demonstration of the KC-46’s capabilities to provide Rapid Global Mobility and Global Reach.

“Learning in training mitigates risk in crisis,” said Donohue. “This mission provided AMC another opportunity to learn lessons and capture best practices for increasing human performance during MEO. You need to look no further to see that the Mobility Air Forces are deadly serious about our role as the Joint Force maneuver.”

DOCTRINE From Page 3

quired for victory, said AMC’s commander.

Highlighting the publication’s release, Gen Mike Minihan, AMC Commander stressed, “Amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics, the victors study maneuver.” Remarking on the efforts to update the doctrine he added, “This version of AFDP 3-36 pushes the envelope in recognizing what the mobility air forces bring to the fight and how we elevate the lethality of the joint team. It includes new sections on command and control, maneuver, the key role air mobility plays in deterrence operations, and critical lessons learned from Operation Allies Refuge, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and recent operations in Israel. Our future challenge demands close reading of this document and

thinking about how to fight.”

AFDP 3-36 underscores that air mobility operations are a fundamental extension of airpower—the capability to project military power through control and exploitation in, from and through the air. This updated doctrine aligns with the realities of great power competition and is the first in a series of major service doctrine updates designed to prepare the Air Force for future conflicts.

The LeMay Center is responsible for the development, dissemination and implementation of Air Force doctrine. It is conducting a full doctrine review in support of the Air Force re-optimization for Great Power Competition.

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ROTC

From Page 10

cess. Focusing on others’ success was a turning point in my career; their success has enabled an upward trajectory for my career.”

After spending over a decade in security forces on the enlisted side, and overcoming his struggles, Richardson decided he would be able to have a greater impact if he commissioned.

“Spending my security forces career in almost exclusively operations, I knew I was not competitive for senior master sergeant or chief master sergeant despite a very successful enlisted journey,” Richardson said. “If I wanted to have a bigger leadership Courtesy photo impact, I was going to need to pursue a different path. Around my 12-year Official portrait of U.S. Air Force mark, I started my bachelor’s degree, Lt. Col. David Richardson, comwhich was challenging being full-time mander of Air Force ROTC Dein person, before widespread online tachment 025 at Arizona State University, during his time as an courses, and working 12-hr shifts.”

Richardson said his top tips for enlisted member. During his ensuccess would include taking care of listed years, he was assigned to your teams, being a teammate with a variety of positions, including a learning attitude, and be customer law enforcement, desk sergeant and flight chief. service oriented.

“While your career may be a reflection of many of your accomplishments, you will not be successful unless those around you are successful too,” he said. “You will likely never be the smartest person in the room, so approach your teams with this mindset. Courtesy always pays off in the long-run, and everyone should be treated with the same respect from E-1 to O-10.

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NATIONALS From Page 5

AEW Airman to virtually throw the first pitch, which was featured during their Fourth of July game in Washington D.C. Additionally, the Airman’s family was invited to throw their own pitch live at the stadium.

“It’s a surreal experience to be selected to throw out the first pitch for the Nationals,” said the Airman. “A lot of hard-working men and women here at the epicenter are just as deserving, if not more; I’m super grateful for the experience.”

As the capstone of the tour, service members from across the installation competed in a first ever Air Force vs. Army softball game at the 379th AEW, with each team coached by one of the former Nationals players. The Air Force triumphed with an overwhelming victory, defeating the Army 21 to 3.

“This was one of the best Air Force events I’ve been a part of,” said one of the Air Force players.

“The Nationals organization, our Airmen, and all the players from the Army and Air Force, on the eve of Independence Day, reminded me of how America’s pastime can still bring everyone together.”

The team hosted a Fourth of July celebration to conclude the visit, inviting all installation members to a simulcast of their game happening in Washington D.C. against the New York Mets.

The former players and their mascot interacted with fans and provided complimentary game tickets for family members who live near the nation’s capital.

“Being able to wish the service members individually a happy Fourth of July in [a deployed] country is something that I can say I’ve never done before,” said Fister. “It definitely puts things in perspective. The sacrifices they give day in

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U.S. Air Force photo

Guests and members of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing celebrate during a Washington Nationals Simulcast at an undisclosed location within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, July 4. The simulcast allowed for deployed personnel to watch the game alongside their family members back home. and out, that’s something we can’t take for granted and it’s something we truly appreciate.”

The visit served as a heartfelt ‘thank you’ from both the Washington Nationals and the 379th AEW leadership for the hard work and dedication of the Airmen, as well as the joint and regional mission partners at the epicenter.

“It was an extraordinary way to celebrate our Nation’s freedom,” said Brig. Gen. Richard Dick-

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ens, 379th AEW commander. “Giving our personnel the opportunity to take a knee and enjoy a taste of home on the Fourth of July was incredible. We are thankful to the Washington Nationals organization for enabling these great events for our warfighters. Whether they fly, fix, or support, we are incredibly proud of the work our service members do every day in support of our national interests.”

COMMUNITY

EVENTS

Family Fun Night Join the fun at MacDill Lanes & Family Fun Center for “Kids Night” Family Fun Night on July 12 from 5-9 p.m. Enjoy a DJ, cartoon mov-ies, cosmic bowling, and goody bags (while supplies last). Don’t miss the$7.95 Kids Buffet (12 and under),$2 games, and affordable shoe rent-als: $3 for adults and $2 for kids.

Visit macdillfss.com/wp-content uploads/JulyFFN_24.pdf for more information.

Red, White, Blue Golf Tourney Join the Bay Palms Golf Complex for the Red, White & Blue All American Golf Tournament on Saturday, July 13, with an 8 a.m. shotgun start on the South Course. Teams of two will compete using varied formats: Best Ball, Modified Alternate Shot, and Scramble, with tees set at 100, 150, and 200 yards respectively. Entry fee covers green fees, a cart, and an All-American style lunch. Sign up at the Pro Shop by noon on Friday, July 12. Pricing: $20 AGF, $40 Military (Active/Retired), $50 Civilian.

Visit macdillfss.com/wp-content/ uploads/RWBGolf8.5X11.pdf for more details.

Tap to Pay now Available All eight 6th FSS Food Bever-age locations now accept contact-less payments, including Apple Pay & Google Pay. Stop by today and grab a bite to eat or a refreshing beverage. For a list of facilities and menus visit, macdillfss.com/eat-drink/.

Find more events at: macdillfss.com

Change of command

Photo by Senior Airman Ty Pilgrim

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind delivers a speech during the Air Force Special Operations Command change of command ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Florida, July 2. During the ceremony, Bauernfeind relinquished command of AFSOC to U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Conley.

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

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

www.macdill.af.mil/chapel

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

(confessions by appointment)

Protestant services - Sunday - 11 a.m. Contact the Cha-

pel at 828-3621 or email at 6ARW.HCADMIN@us.af.mil for inquiries regarding Protestant religious education.

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

Islamic Service - Friday 1:30 p.m. (space reserved) Other Faith Groups - Please contact the Chapel at (813) 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 u Thursday, July 11, 2024 u WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM u 15

VS24

From Page 8

According to Col. Trigg Randall, 515th Air Mobility Operations Group commander and Commander of the Valiant Shield 2024 Mobility Task Force, AMC supports ACE concepts dominantly through the Global Air Mobility Support System. Practiced extensively during VS24, air mobility operation units are in-place within the Pacific theater to receive units as they arrive. In more austere environments, the GAMSS has contingency response units to help receive aircraft where there wasn’t previously personnel or infrastructure to do so.

“The only way they can [explode into theater] is by having support personnel on the ground to receive them when they get to the Pacific,” said Randall.

Command and Control Maintaining logistics across vast distances in the Pacific has its challenges. Add the potential for conflict and degraded environments, and those challenges grow exponentially.

According to Takao, VS24 is good training to test Airmen’s ability to plan and execute missions while geographically separated from the AOC that directs them.

To address these challenges during VS24, AMC stood up a Mobility Task Force, which Randall said can be used when aircrew and personnel cannot reach back to AMC or an Air Operations Center. The MTF monitored all 618th AOC Command and Control elementås, so in the

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event of communication systems challenges, command continuity could be maintained.

Randall said that VS24’s MTF had 16 personnel assigned to it, majority of which had no prior AOC experience. Exercising adaptability in ever-changing environments, they were able to accomplish their tasks in exercise scenarios and operated in-theater without communications with the 618th AOC. The MTF concept is designed to be scalable, enabling wide application of ACE concepts. It can be applied both to small contingencies and large theater exercise such as VS24.

“As the MTF is a concept, it was a trial run here during this exercise,” said Randall, “The idea of being able to operate in a degraded environment is a valid one, and we need to keep working to find out the best ways to do so.”

In his 2023 Beyond the Manifesto, Gen. Mike Minihan, Air Mobility Command commander, said that momentum and new concepts will be required in real-world contingencies with complex command structures and logistical challenges such as degraded communications. Through these MAF concepts executed during exercises like VS24, AMC continues to develop command relationships, command and control, and sustainment concepts of employment that will survive first contact with the enemy.