Change is upon us! Published Jan. 24, 2013 By Col. Scott DeThomas 6th Air Mobility Wing commander MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- This month we said "Farewell" to Col. Dave Pavey of the 927th and welcomed the wing's newest commander, Col. Doug and Ann Schwartz to the Team MacDill family. We are excited to welcome the Schwartzs back to Tampa and wish them all the best in the coming years. The wing also bids "Farewell" to our Senior Enlisted Advisor, Chief Vicky Gamble and her husband Chief Dan Gamble. The wing loses two of its finest Chiefs but our Headquarters gains two of the best to their team as Chief Vicky Gamble takes over as the Command Chief at 18th Air Force while Chief Dan Gamble joins the Air Mobility Command Inspector General's staff. There is no doubt we'll see them around the base again real soon. While the Gambles were here for a short 15 months, we were very fortunate to have them on our team. As our Senior Enlisted Advisor, Chief Gamble was instrumental in improving Quality of Life for our Airmen and their families across the base and in the local area. Her intellect and ability to find solutions to tough problems will be invaluable additions to 18AF and our Airmen across the command. As a trusted advisor to the commander, she routinely provided us sage guidance and recommendations that were instrumental in the continued success of this great team. Chief Gamble you will be missed and best of luck to you and Dan at Scott Air Force Base! Heading into February, the wing is geared up and ready to host Corona, the Air Force's premier 4-star summit. This event happens three times a year and provides the outlet for major Air Force decision-makers to come together and discuss the latest issues. Although the Air Force's senior leaders will be tied up in meetings during the two-day event, just know they are working hard plotting the future of our great Air Force. Speaking of our Air Force, there has been a great deal of information in the news lately. From KC-46A basing options to budget discussions, I ask that each of you take time to read up on the latest news and ensure you understand how these decisions affect you. For the latest tanker news, it is key to remember the KC-135 is expected to fly until 2040 and the latest basing decisions are just the first round of what should be another four-to-five rounds of discussions between now and 2028, the end of the purchase of 179 KC-46s. Our mission here at MacDill is not expected to change at this time based on current KC-46 decisions. As far as the budget, we continue to operate under a continuing resolution which means we don't have an approved budget for Fiscal Year 2013. Additionally, the sequestration discussions continue to influence our overall spending strategy as the Department of Defense prepares for proposed decreases in our spending authority. Expect limits on spending to include TDYs, flying hours, and civilian hiring to take effect immediately, until further notice. I ask that each of you work solutions to resourcing issues as we move forward in FY13.