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    NCOs: unprecedented challenges, effective leading

    In the profession of arms, the noncommissioned officer is often considered to be the backbone of the force. NCOs, being technical experts themselves, are entrusted to develop, lead, manage and mentor subordinate troops as front-line supervisors.
  • U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Shawna Wise, Staff Sgt. Marissa Nelson, Staff Sgt. Sanchez Banks and Master Sgt. Matthew Orlando, the 6th Force Support Squadron Airman Leadership School (ALS) instructor team, pause for a photo with Staff Sgt. Travis Somera, a 6th Security Forces Squadron entry controller during an ALS graduation ceremony, Oct. 17, 2019 at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.

    MacDill ALS: Ready, flexible, innovative

    Although many of the Air Force’s education and training courses have been put on hold, the 6th Force Support Squadron’s Airman Leadership School instructor team remains diligent. Their ultimate goal is to ensure that their students will be given the same high quality training they need to join the ranks as Air Force leaders when ALS courses resume.

  • Right place, right time: Airman saves lives

    March 7, 2020, started off as a long day, coming home from working during the Nuclear Operational Readiness Exercise, Tech. Sgt. Lowery was on his way southbound over the Alafia Bridge in East Tampa. As he drove closer to the base of the bridge, a car and motorcycle collided, and for the next two hours, Lowery’s security forces medical training and prior emergency medical technician experience would help him with assisting in his first-ever witnessed accident.
  • Senior Airman Julian Hurrey, an air traffic controller assigned to the 6th Operations Support Squadron, fabricates 3D printed mask straps. These adjustable straps help alleviate the strain on the ears from wearing a facemask for long periods of time, while allowing the user to adjust the fit to create a better seal.

    MacDill Airman mitigates COVID-19 with innovation

    While some are looking for ways to distract themselves, some are making the most of it by finding ways to support relief efforts. Hurrey has used his social distancing time to fabricate adjustable straps that help hold any mask in place. These 3D printed straps help alleviate the strain on the ears from wearing a facemask for long periods of time, while allowing the user to adjust the fit to create a better seal.

  • MacDill defender puts service before self

    Starting any journey in life comes with new stresses – a different environment, financial adjustments or maybe being away from family. When coronavirus is added to that mix of uncertainty, the Air Force’s new technical school graduates are faced with a myriad of obstacles no other Airmen have tackled thus far.Staff Sgt. Carmella Tagliavia, a 6th

  • No stranger to service and sacrifice: Nursing student, singer gives back to community

    No stranger to the words service and sacrifice, Katie Babb, a current nursing student and wife to U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Justin Babb, an electrical and environmental specialist assigned to the 6th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, created a video parody of Pocahontas’ “Just Around the Riverbend” song with lyrics about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of social distancing.

  • Professionalism in uncertainty

    Getting orders to a new base is exciting, yet stressful, from figuring out housing, the new area, leaving your friends, and in-processing to a new unit. For many, the idea of having someone able to sit down with an expert to help them step-by-step along the way is a big relief, but, for some, that is not an option.
  • U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Shawna Wise Bio Photo

    Back to the basics: finding work-life balance during a pandemic

    Though the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have forced changes to the normal operating environment, the Airmen of the 6th Air Refueling Wing have stepped up, as they always do, to ensure that the mission of delivering unmatched air refueling support carries on. For Tech. Sgt. Shawna Wise, a 6th Force Support Squadron Airman Leadership School instructor, getting back to the basics has enabled her to find a sense of normalcy during this time of adversity.
  • MacDill Airman supports squadron in COVID-19 fight

    MacDill Airman supports squadron in COVID-19 fight

    MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Across the globe, people have been out of work, forced to work from home, but in many ways are working harder now than ever. This pandemic has crept into everyone’s lives bringing with it feelings of uncertainty and fear. In these trying times, one MacDill Airman has found a way to look after and help protect his fellow Airmen.
  • A KC-46 Pegasus assigned to McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., approaches a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., for a refueling, Jan. 30, 2020.

    Delivering excellence: MacDill boom operators train for perfection

    There’s a saying in the Air Force about refueling aircraft, something along the lines of nothing accomplishes mission success without tanker aircraft gas. This saying rings true in Tampa. Refueling aircraft such as MacDill Air Force Base’s KC-135 Stratotanker are vital to mission success and keeping other military aircraft flying all over the globe.
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