310th Airlift Squadron hosts a squadron tour

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Ashley Perdue
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

Airmen from the 6th Communications Squadron and 6th Force Support Squadron tour the 310th Airlift Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, March 30, 2018.

 

“The goal of the tour was to open lines of communication between squadrons, as well as thank them for all the support they offer us,” said Staff Sgt. Stephanie Wilburn, a flight attendant with the 310th AS. “The idea of the tour was sparked from a conversation between one of our communication systems operators, Tech. Sgt. Christopher Phillips and Master Sgt. Allen, a flight chief with the 6th Communications Squadron, while working at the Science, Technology, Engineer, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) event recently.

 

“Allen and other Airmen from the 6th CS became extremely interested in Phillips’ job and decided to see what it’s like in person.”

 

According to Wilburn, this was the 310th’s opportunity to showcase their unique mission and explain the challenges and rewards of being part of the Distinguished Visitor (DV) airlift mission.

 

On the day of the tour, the Airmen gathered at the bottom of a staircase in hangar three, where a hand-painted portrait of various aircraft hangs on a wall.

 

It was shared during a quick history lesson that this painting represents all of the aircraft operated by the 310th dating back from their involvement in World War II until present day.

 

From there, the Airmen toured the kitchen area to see what the day-to-day life of a flight attendant is like followed by stops at various mission operations sections.

 

"I enjoyed learning about the flight-attendant’s mission,” said Staff Sgt. Sierra Ellis, a publication and Sharepoint administrator with the 6th CS. “They really have to be creative with their day to day job by being responsible for cooking, packing and serving meals.

 

After learning what it’s like to operate in the 310th, and how their roles contribute to the mission, the Airmen received praise for all of their hard work and dedication to the overall mission.

 

Once this was all said and done, it was now time for the main event, a tour of the C-37A Gulfstream.

 

Everyone then moved to the heritage room where the touring Airmen were split into three groups to facilitate the aircraft tour. Wilburn stayed with the groups waiting and answered any questions they had.

 

While aboard the aircraft, Airmen had the opportunity to meet with some of the aircrew and see their specialties and duty stations while in the air on the C-37.

 

“We had a lot of Airmen interested in what it’s like to have an enlisted flying career,” Wilburn said. “My favorite part of the tour was when I was able to answer questions about my job and share stories from the road.

 

“I also learned a lot about their jobs and daily struggles which gave me a greater appreciation for how the many roles in the Air Force all mesh together.”

 

According to Phillips and Wilburn, Airmen with the 310th AS are ecstatic to have more tours and static displays to continue to build camaraderie throughout other squadrons in the future.