FourU.S.AirForceF-16FightingFalconsassignedtothe92ndFighterSquadron,ShawAirForce Base,South Carolina,flyalongsideaKC-135Stratotankerassignedtothe91stAirRefuelingSquadronoverthewestern United States duringExerciseBambooEagle24-3,Aug.5.ThroughemploymentoftheKC-135aircraft, the91st ARSextendsU.S. globalpowerandglobal reachbyplanningandexecutingaerial refuelingmissionsforU.S.andalliedcombatandsupportaircraft.DuringBambooEagle,AirMobilityCommandassetswill supportwarfightersimplementingall-domain combat-powergenerationfromdisaggregatedbasinglocationsthroughout thewestern partof theU.S., alongwith distributedcommandandcontrol,agilelogistics,andtacticalair-to-air refueling.BambooEagle providesparticipatingunitsopportunitiesto re-optimizingforGreatPowercompetitionand to focuson mission readinessbytodeliver cross-functionalandlethalcombatcapabilitieswiththespeedandagility required to meetpacingchallenges.
Photoby Tech.Sgt.AlexanderCook
NEWS/FEATURES
18thAirForcewelcomesnewestcommander
byCapt.MatthewStott 18thAirForce
The18thAir Forcewelcomeditsnewestcommanderduringa changeofcommandceremony Aug. 9,whenMaj.Gen.CoreyMartinrelinquishedcommandtoMaj.Gen.CharlesBolton. Gen MikeMinihan, AirMobilityCommand (AMC)commander, officiatedthehistoricevent.
TheActionLineprovidestwo-waycommunicationbetweenthe 6thAirRefueling Wingcommander and theMacDillcommunity. Personnelmaysubmitquestions,concernsorcommentsviaemailto macdillwingcommander@us.af.mil or Facebook@6thARWCommandTeam
MacDill Thunderbolt
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Everyarticleandphotographis edited for accuracy, clarity, brevity, conformance with the “Associated Press Stylebook andLibel Manual” and Air Force Instruction 35-101.
JOINTBASELANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va.—The U.S. Air ForceMedicalServicehasimplementedastrategicinitiative designedtotrainall medicalAirmentoprovidefoundational clinicalsupporttowounded andinjuredpersonnelonthebattlefield, MEDIC-X.
Theprogrampreviouslyphasedout aroundthe2012timeframe. However, accordingto737TRGleadership, asthe Air ForcecontinuestopreparenewAirmenandGuardiansforGreat PowerCompetition, it’scrucial forNationalSecuritytoinculcatea warfightermindsetimmediatelyupon arrivaltoZero Week;andtoreinforcethatmindsetthroughtheadditional seventrainingweeks, ultimately allowingtraineestoshowcasethatskillsetduringtheirculminationexercise— PACERFORGE.
See WEAPONS, Page10
Gas TurbineSystems Technician(Mechanical)1stClassGuokangXie, left,andGas TurbineSystems Technician(Electrical)1stClassGuojianXieposeduringabreakatSoutheastRegionalMaintenanceCenter (SERMC)inMayport,Fla.Theidenticaltwins joinedtheNavyin2018 andhavebeenseparatedsince“A”SchoolinGreatLakes, Ill.
“Wearewitnessinginrealtimeanevolutionaryparadigmshiftinhowwelookatoperations, jointintegrationsandcommunications,” saidRoe “We’recoming outoftheGlobal Waron Terrorwhich is a very different landscapethathasbeenabsentforoneortwo generations. Thebestthing wecandois exercisethose skillsand identifypitfalls.”
“It’samazingtoseehowmuchAMCandthe wings have accomplished due to a lot of hard workanddedication.Ipromisetocontinuethe momentum,ensuringwe, theglobalreachenterprise, are preparedforthenextconflictat speedandscale. That’s withtheculture, mentality, connectivity, resources, andexercisesneeded.Beingreadyforthecontestedfight,learninghowtofightour waythroughtheconfusion anddenialsofservicetosupportthejointfight andthengetoutiswhatwewillfocuson.It’s aboutelevatingthelethalityofthejointforce That’swhatwebringtothetable;theabilityto enhancemaneuveratspeedandscale.”
BothMinihanandMartinoutlinedBolton’s
U.S.AirForceGen.MikeMinihan, Air MobilityCommandcommander,givestheguidonto Maj.Gen.CharlesBolton,incoming18thAir Forcecommander,duringachangeofcommandceremonyonScottAirForceBase,Illinois,Aug.9,2024.The18thAFisAMC’ssole numberedAirForceandis responsiblefor12 wingsandone reportingunit.
backgroundandexperienceandwhyhe’s the perfectpersontotakecommandof18thAir Force.
Activedutyandreservistsfromthe U.S. Air ForceandMarineCorps conductedaC-5Galaxydefuelandsimulatedmissilethreatevacuation operationduringExerciseNorthernStrike24-2atOscoda-Wurtsmith Airport,Mich.,Aug. 9.
Air ForcepersonnelfromDoverAir ForceBaseandtheMichiganAir NationalGuardaswellasMarineCorpsReservistsfrom Wilmington, DelawaredefueledaC-5GalaxyintoR-11Refuelertrucks.
In July, inpartnershipwiththe U.S. Navy, aB-2Spiritstealthbomberprovedalow-cost,air-deliveredmethodfordefeatingsurfacevesselsthroughaQUICKSINK demonstration,aspartofthesecondRIMPACSINKEX ThecollaborationbetweentheAFRL, U.S. Navy, andindustrypartnersrepresentasignificantstepforwardin the U.S. Air Force’snaval warfarecapabilities.
AFRLisdevelopingsolutions to ournation’s most pressingscienceandtechnology challenges, whichrequiresbalancingbetweendevelopingtechnologiesthat addresscurrentneedsandmakingtheresearchinvestmentsweneedtomaintainsuperiorityandwininfutureconflicts.
Normal Hours- Monday - Friday - 9 a.m.to 3p.m. After hours chaplain, callthe Command Post at 828-4362/4361.
Monday-Wednesday Mass - 12:10p.m. www.macdill.af.mil/chapel
Catholic Mass - Sunday - 9:30 a.m. (confessionsby appointment)
Protestant services - Sunday - 11 a.m. Contact the Chapel at 828-3621or email at 6ARW.HCADMIN@us.af.mil for inquiries regarding Protestant religious education.
Jewish - Monthly Lunch and Learn: For schedule &tojoin distro,pleasecontactelimelach.estrin@us.af.mil
Islamic Service - Friday 1:30p.m.(space reserved)
OtherFaith Groups - Pleasecontact the Chapelat (813)828-3621orviaemail at 6ARW.HCADMIN@us.af.mil
intofourquartersoverayear, with13essential skillstaughtduring each quarter.
“ThegoalofMEDIC-Xistoenhance,” said Col. TraceySapp, Chief, ClinicalOperations, AirCombatCommandSurgeonGeneral’sOffice. “Themedicalprovidersandnursingservices is asmallassetwithvery limitednumbers, sotheprogramextendsourhandin theabilitytoprovidesafecaretowoundedandill people and improvepatientoutcomes incontestedenvironments.”
“Classesincludeintravenousfluidmanagement,pumpmanagement andmeasuringintakeandoutputoffluids,” said Sapp. “Themedics also learntoassistandperformspinalimmobilization,dressing changes, onandoff-loadingoffixedwingaircraft,oxygentherapy, and checking vitalsignslikebloodpressure, heartrate, andrespirations.”
Whenthetrainingiscompleted,theMEDIC-Xtoolboxwillserve asa repositorywithinthe AFMSknowledgeexchange, accessibletotrainees. This
EXERCISE
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“Oncewefoundoutthatwehadtogetoutofthereandflushthesystem, wegotback tothebase andwewereexfilled appropriately,” said Kincaid.
Personnelwereevacuatedusingthree U.S. NavyH-60Seahawks. Theexercisenotonlytestedtheefficiencyoftherefuelingprocessin high-stressscenariosbutalsopreparedparticipants forrapid, coordinatedresponsestoemergencysituations.