Macdill, 75 years of excellence

  • Published
  • By Airman Adam R. Shanks
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Team MacDill kicked off its 75th birthday week April 15, 2016, with a carnival open to all base residents. The idea to commemorate the base's anniversary with a carnival came from the 6th FSS.

"We decided to have the carnival, because it was a big way to get the base excited for MacDill's 75th," said Lt. Col. Carina Harrison, the commander of the 6th Force Support Squadron (FSS) here.

With MacDill Air Force Base's 75th birthday upon us, we take a look into the base mission since it began and how it has grown to be an integral part of the Tampa Bay community.

MacDill AFB is named in honor of Col. Leslie MacDill, a pilot in the Army Air Corps who died in a BC-1 plane crash shortly after taking off from Bolling Field, D.C. in 1938. Shortly after the accident, Secretary of War Harry H. Woodring announced his decision to rename Tampa's Southeast Air Base in MacDill's honor.

On April 16, 1941, MacDill AFB was officially activated. Since then the base has gone through many changes, but one thing has remained the same - a commitment to excellence.

"MacDill has gone through many different eras in our military and we continue to change," said Harrison. "As we continue to change, we continue to get better."

In its earlier years, MacDill AFB's mission was transitional training in the B-17 Flying Fortress. By the end of the World War II, MacDill had hosted a number of bomber aircraft including the B-17, B-26 Marauder and the B-29 Superfortress.

Today, the 6th Air Mobility Wing (AMW) here performs air refueling, airlift, and contingency response missions for the U.S. and allied forces around the globe. The 6th AMW is home to the KC-135 Stratotanker and the Gulfstream C-37A executive transport jet. MacDill AFB is also home to U.S. Central Command and Special Operations Command.

Since the base's establishment, there has been significant financial growth in the Tampa Bay community. Currently employing 15,000 military personnel and 3,700 civilians, the base has an approximate $2.9 billion annual impact on the community.

The community recently showed its appreciation for MacDill AFB by sharing the experience at Tampa Bay's AirFest 2016. More than 100,000 attendees were able to see the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds perform aerial demonstrations and witness air superiority in action.

In addition to the 75th birthday carnival, the Tampa Bay History Center off base hosted its own MacDill Day, Sunday April 17, in celebration of the 75th. The event offered free admission to all military families and the general public. Visitors had the opportunity to see WWII-era reenactors, MacDill AFB artifacts and the new MacDill exhibit to catch a glimpse into the base's history.

After 75 years of deliberate excellence, and many more to come, MacDill AFB has proven to be a staple amongst the Tampa community and can proudly celebrate a happy birthday.