Col. Rocco assumes command of 6th MDG

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Bryan Gatewood
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Colonel Robert F. Rocco assumed command of the 6th Medical Group in a ceremony here July 5 from Col. Dennis Beatty. Colonel Lenny Richoux, 6th Air Mobility Wing commander, presided over the ceremony.

"I am honored to be a part of the 6 AMW and Team MacDill. I'm grateful for the warm welcome afforded my family and me," said Colonel Rocco. I look forward to building upon the healthcare relationships MacDill and the 6th Medical Group have with the Air Force Medical Service, the VA, central/south Florida's regional network partners and am excited about a very bright healthcare future for MacDill and those of us who call the Florida Gulf Coast home."

Colonel Beatty is heading to Scott Air Force Base, Ill., to be the Air Mobility Command deputy Surgeon General.

Colonel Rocco is coming to MacDill from Bethesda, Maryland where he served as chief, WRNMMC Integration Division, Joint Task Force National Capital Region Medical (DoD), As the new 6th MDG commander he expects Airmen under his command to stay focused on the primary mission areas centered around four words: Prevent, Heal, Prepare, Deploy.

"Prevent - The Air Force Medical Service's approach to mastering a wellness lifestyle for our Airmen, retirees and their families ... it's also the cornerstone of ensuring a fit and ready force able to deploy at a moments notice.

"Heal - Primarily what our patients expect. When they aren't feeling well, they'll call the Medical group and have certain expectations. Meeting the basic needs of our patients is what separates good medical groups from great medical groups.

"Prepare - Our missions here at MacDill are complex and our medics must use our time wisely to ensure we are ready to successfully accomplish what ever missions we are presented.

"Deploy - Our bottom line as Airmen is we train hard to perform our duties in austere environments around the globe. I expect my Airmen to prepare for that challenge professionally and personally. This includes ensuring their families are full partners in the process so when deployments happen our families are ready," explained the colonel.

During his first commander's call, the colonel said, he will thank everyone for the warm welcome and quickly getting him up to speed on the complexities of the 6th Medical Group. He will also answer three questions he says, most people are thinking -- Who is this guy? What does he believe? And, what does he expect?

"As an Airmen myself, those were the questions I most wanted answered from the commanders I served with," said Colonel Rocco. "I believed if I understood what made my commanders tick I could best accomplish the missions of my unit and best guide those with whom I was charged to lead."

Colonel Rocco has three times served as a military medical treatment facility Administrator and he has commanded three medical squadrons to include a deployed squadron at the Craig Combined/Joint Theater Hospital, Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan and two clinic-based squadrons, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah and Ramstein Air Base, Germany respectively.

While deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, he also served as multi-national Combined-Joint Task Force J1 working closely with numerous coalition/multinational.

When asked how he likes Tampa, Colonel Rocco said, "MacDill is an impressive base with an all-star team of mission partners. Tampa (and the surrounding communities) is an exciting area of our country offering so much to see and do. In our first week here my family and I visited the beach, theme parks, and great restaurants. My son summed it up nicely when he said, 'living in the same town as Derek Jeter AND the Yankee spring training complex AND an NFL team, NHL team, and MLB team is pretty cool!'"

Colonel Rocco was commissioned into the United States Air Force upon graduation from Officer Training School in 1987. After ten years of service as a line officer, he received a competitive category transfer in 1996 and entered the Air Force Medical Service as a Medical Service Corps officer.

Colonel Rocco's full biography can be found on the MacDill website at http://www.macdill.af.mil/library/biographies.