Supporting the community in which they live

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Michael Ellis
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  In the last week more than 300 youth from the surrounding area visited MacDill AFB. As a way of giving back to the community in which they live, service members from around the base volunteered their time to interact with the youth.

ROTC Day spearheaded by Staff Sgt. Brandon Shapiro, Senior Airman Melissa Paradise and Airman 1st Class Ned Johnston, from the 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs Office, brought more than 200 junior reserve officer training cadets and high-school aged youth to the base, Oct. 18, 2013.

Students had the opportunity to interact with units such as the U.S. Special Operations Command Parachute Demonstration Team, explosive ordnance disposal, the bomb sniffing military working dogs, the bioenvironmental emergency response team and aircrew members onboard a KC-135 stratotanker.

"ROTC Day gave students a unique opportunity to see various military career fields and to talk face-to-face with the individuals they admire and for some are striving to emulate," said Johnston.
Merely 72 hours later, close to 100 local youth (Littles) were paired up with military members (Bigs) and toured the base during Bigs for a Day, Oct. 21, 2013.

Master Sgt. Christopher Dehm, MacDill representative for a local organization geared toward mentoring youth, with his right-hand woman Airman 1st Class Irina Velanovich, co-organizer of Bigs for a Day, coordinated the event.

Dehm credited the success to the planning committee members and the more than 100 volunteers that came out to support.

"Overall, the event displayed MacDill's continual involvement within the local community," said Dehm. "In addition, you could see the excitement on the kids' faces so it was a success."