MacDill's Airman of the Year travels to D.C. Published June 1, 2015 By Senior Airman Ned T. Johnston 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 6th Air Mobility Wing's Airman of the Year traveled to Washington D.C. May 20, 2015, with the wing commander and command chief to meet with senior Air Force leaders and members of Congress on behalf of the Airmen of MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. Once a year, the commander and command chief of every installation visit Washington D.C. to build rapport and share the experiences, concerns and praises of the installation to members of Congress. This year, Col. Daniel Tulley, 6th AMW commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Matthew Lusson, 6th AMW command chief, invited Senior Airman Kelsey Shaw to join them on their visit. Shaw, a Manhattan, Kansas, native, along with the wing commander and command chief, spent her first day of the visit touring museums and memorials around the National Mall bookended by a tour of the Pentagon. The next day was spent on Capitol Hill visiting with members of Congress. "We were there building relationships with Senators and Congressmen, and we let them know 'hey, this is what's really going on at MacDill; these are the things that actually affect us,'" said Shaw., "Being face to face with people who make decisions that directly affect the way we operate was an amazing opportunity." Shaw was the only Airman to be invited on the visit out of all the installations represented this year. Continuing her strive for excellence, Shaw stayed an additional few days in D.C. to volunteer her time to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors non-profit organization. "It just worked out that I was here in D.C. while the national T.A.P.S. seminar was going on in Arlington," said Shaw. "I volunteer my time with them anytime they are close to MacDill, so it was a nice little addition to an already enriching experience."