So much to be thankful for this holiday Published Nov. 29, 2012 By Col. Scott DeThomas 6th Air Mobility Wing commander MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- This Thanksgiving, Team MacDill truly has much to be thankful for! We have outstanding Airmen and families with an incredible mission providing world class distinguished visitor airlift and air refueling. Not to mention the finest Air Force Base on the face of the planet, and an amazing community that provides the fabric that holds it all together. This incredible combination allows our team to deliver unsurpassed airpower every day. The long weekend and holiday provides a great opportunity for reflection and giving thanks. As we focus on Airmen and their families, it would be great to highlight all of your accomplishments, but the Thunderbolt would read like an entire set of encyclopedias. Instead, please know you are noticed, and you are each critical to this great team. This past week highlights what each of you brings to the table: Expert knowledge, disciplined thinking and overall expertise that thoroughly demonstrated why Team MacDill is so great That was a direct result of an environment of excellence that must be lived daily; that is where the real "thanks" can be found. The fact that each day you and your loved ones provide our nation an incredible service is what makes me most thankful. While the Inspector General has deemed us "Excellent" on our CUI, there is no doubt that this is possible because of the support from our friends outside the gate. Team MacDill is committed to building positive relationships with the communities surrounding our base. Our military members and their families are a major part of the Tampa Bay area and have a vested interest in its health. We take every opportunity to show we are good neighbors and will continue to be a positive force in those communities. Because of the disciplined stewardship our military members bring to MacDill's surrounding area, we are graced with overwhelming support from around the area. The great city of Tampa, has dedicated time, resources and mission support for many years and is another reason to be genuinely thankful. MacDill will forever be committed to being first-class neighbors to Tampa because, positive community relations are vital to our overall mission success. In today's military, no matter how technical our operations become or how wide our global missions expand, our people will continue to be our most treasured resources and with the constant support from our local community, our mission success exceeds all expectations. So again, I must say I am genuinely thankful for our Airmen, Service members, families, the success of our overall mission, and the outstanding community of Tampa and our team's outlook for the future.