Team MacDill knows our priorities; some team standouts Published April 12, 2012 By Col. Lenny Richoux 6th Air Mobility Wing commander MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Every now and then, I like to remind you of our top priorities within the 6th Air Mobility Wing. The longer I'm here, though, the more I realize you don't really need reminders. Perfect example: you've been doubling down on readiness, our number one priority, during this Year of Conspicuous Compliance by preparing to demonstrate with the 927th Air Refueling Wing - our Total Force Integration partners - that we have our shared house in inspection order. My hat's off to one of the mainstays of that effort, Tech. Sgt. Caren Price of our Plans and Programs Office. Almost single-handedly, she's taught every Management Internal Control Tool user in the 6th AMW how to harness the potential of this vital asset in understanding whether or not their function needs a tune-up. That's the sort of horsepower that keeps us ever ready! Readiness is also the reason a trio of colonels from the 6th AMW and 927th ARW attended the TFI Summit at Joint Base Andrews, M.d., last week. We spent two days examining the current state of integration between active and reserve partners and the future state we must achieve to guarantee our nation's security. It was a perfect venue to solidify key relationships that make our number one priority a daily reality. At the same time, MacDill is constantly exceeding expectations when it comes to base services, a huge component of our number two priority. Think of the marathon we've been running since October 2010 as one of six bases transforming the way Airmen will be fed in the future. By outsourcing the preparation of most of the food Airmen eat, we've vastly increased the variety of options available to essential-station-messing card holders, seen the advent of creative eating venues like food trucks just outside your office door and completed an awesome makeover of our dining facility. Kudos on that last one to Mike Pardue, 6th Force Support Squadron Sustainment Services flight chief; his deputy Capt. Anthony Perez, Senior Master Sgt. Michelle Williams, Sustainment Services Flight superintendent; her assistant, Master Sgt. Lisa Lyons, assistant dining facility manager; and Master Sgt. Alejandro Ray, dining facility manager, for their yeoman efforts in bringing that transition about so smoothly! Finally, last week witnessed another stunning example of your efforts in engaging the community, our number three priority. Thanks to the high-speed efforts of Terry Montrose, deputy director of Public Affairs, MacDill hosted the presentation of the Hobey Baker Award, college hockey's equivalent to the Heisman Trophy. This award is not only about hockey prowess but also character, integrity and scholastic achievement. It's based on the premise that "Character Builds Excellence." Hobey Baker, standout Princeton sports star and World War I pilot with the Lafayette Escadrille in France, lived a life that proved that premise. I say the Hobey Baker committee picked the ideal setting for this year's presentation. Your commitment to character and excellence are evident to me every day. It's the main reason this is the finest Air Mobility Wing on the Face of the Planet!