MacDill exudes confidence: Yesterday, today and tomorrow

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jenay Randolph
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing public affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  For one night the Hilton became a sea of blue with splashes of color; a place where more than 1,000 Airmen and other guests came together to celebrate the United States Air Force.

On Friday, Oct. 2, 2015, men and women from MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, put on their semi-formal and mess dress attire to attend the 68th Annual Air Force Ball at the Hilton Tampa Downtown in Tampa, Florida.

"The 68th Tampa Air Force Ball's theme was Wild Blue Yonder: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow," voiced Staff Sgt. Adam Borgman, 927th Air Refueling Wing public affairs photojournalist and ball coordinator. "This theme is nothing but accurate--the ball represents a formal function today celebrating the Air Force of yesterday and giving us memories that will last forever."

The ball began with a social hour followed by the official ceremony that included opening remarks by Col. Daniel Tulley, 6th Air Mobility Wing commander, and Col. Randall Bright, 927th ARW commander, special remarks by the honorable Bob Buckhorn, mayor of Tampa, Florida, and the cutting of the cake.

"The Air Force Ball is important for an Airman to experience at least once because it represents our past... it represents where we came from," said Borgman.  "It also allows us to understand a little more about the Air Force and it helps us buy into being a lifer in the World's Greatest Air Force."

Laughter filled the ballroom when Chief Master Sgt. Victoria Gamble, command chief of the Air Mobility Command, graciously took the stage to deliver a message on confidence.

"One word to describe an American Airman is confidence," expressed Gamble.
"Airmen simply deliver confidence to the American people."

She went on to say that the U.S. Transportation Command is confident that they can get anybody or anything, anywhere on the globe in a short amount of time.

Countries and service members all around the world, rely on Airmen for humanitarian assistance and to support them if ever in trouble. They have confidence that if needed, the Air Force will show up.

"An Airman once told to me, an Airman is the most prestigious thing he has ever been called," expressed Gamble. "Our Airmen are indisputably spectacular. They are the best thing in the world."

Chief Gamble also expressed how grateful she is to have the opportunity to serve alongside these confidently amazing Airmen in her career and encourages Airmen to remember yesterday, focus on today and look forward to tomorrow while continuing to serve.

Overall, the night was full of great memories, which included performances from the Heralds of Harmony, POW/MIA remembrance, dinner and dancing the night away to the music of the Phase 5 Band.

"The Air Force Ball turned out great!" said Borgman. "It is an opportunity for Airmen in the Tampa Bay area and local civic leaders join together to celebrate the birthday of the U.S. Air Force and that is what we did!"