'Be a nosy Wingman!' Published May 17, 2012 By Col. Lenny Richoux and Chief Master Sgt. Vicki Gamble 6th Air Mobility Wing commander and 6th AMW command chief MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Team MacDill, It has been a very busy week at MacDill. Unfortunately, the past few weeks have been exceptionally difficult, following the tragic death of one of our senior noncommissioned officers who was killed on a closed track while participating in motorcycle skills rider training. We mourn the loss of a very experienced Airman whose contributions to our nation cannot be replaced. If you choose to become involved in a high risk activity, remember that you are required to obtain the consent of your commander, as line of duty determination may depend on the legality of your participation. Our Defenders maintain close watch over MacDill and all facilities on our 5,700-acre installation. Some 11,000 ID cards are checked between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. Monday through Friday, with 100 percent accuracy. Sadly and tragically we lost one of our Defenders this past weekend while on duty. While our profession can be demanding, know too that every one of us has likely walked a mile in your shoes and many of us have had the same challenges along the way. Be nosey Wingmen! Know your co-workers and get into their business! Our business is a team sport and we cannot lead segmented lives. We must be ready to answer the call every hour of each and every day. If someone doesn't seem right -- they are not! Get your first sergeant involved. Tell someone. You may be the one who saves a life or a career. We are doing great work in preparation for our Compliance Inspection scheduled for November. We are on the way to showing the inspector general that we are an "OUTSTANDING" wing as we continue our path along the "Year of Conspicuous Compliance." Keep your eyes on the prize. Prepare now and we will do great. I want to thank everyone, especially our partner units, who participated in the recent Hurricane Readiness Exercise. We spent the morning discussing how to prepare the base, our people and the mission in the event we are faced with a catastrophic storm. We ended the day with a trip to our evacuation location. Please do your part both at home and in the workplace to be prepared for hurricane season. A Category 3 storm would put MacDill under several feet of water. As we approach the Summer months, please factor safe planning into recreational activities. Our military strives to give its people the maximum time off and I want all of you to enjoy that time safely! And speaking of recreational activities, it's Asian Pacific Heritage Month, and I encourage you to learn a little about the contributions of the Asian Pacific community, then come and enjoy a luau on May 30 at MacDill Beach. See your unit representative for details. This week I'd like to call out Staff Sgt. Matt Dowden for revamping the safety and vehicle programs at Maintenance Squadron. He really has the program on track. I would also like to recognize Tech. Sgt. Tim Jones and Tech. Sgt. Tanika Belfield for being exceptional Wingmen. Every day I'm reminded how you are the finest Air Mobility Wing on the Face of the Planet! Thank you for your service!