C M Y K

INSIDE TODAY

New milestonePage 3

Happy Birthday AF! Page 4

Fight ClubPage 15

Justice FilesPage 18

Vol. 35, No. 37 Friday, September 12, 2008

by Senior Airman Nika Glover6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

Col. Robert Thomas relinquished command of the 6th Air Mobility Wing during a change of command ceremony to Col. Lawrence Martin Monday.

Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott III, 18th Air Force commander, presided over the ceremony and expressed his gratitude for Colonel Thomas’ hard work during his tenure as the 6th AMW commander.

“Just under (two) years ago Colonel Thomas and his family moved to one of the busiest com-mands in the Air Force,” said General Scott. “Under his leadership the 6th Air Mobility Wing’s abilities have soared. It continues to ac-complish amazing things and set benchmarks for this command.”

The general said the good news is that the Thomas’s aren’t leaving the Air Mobility Com-mand family.

Colonel Thomas has been selected for reas-signment to Fairchild AFB, Wash., where he will serve as the commander of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing.

“I could not think of a better leader to serve at Fairchild,” General Scott added.

Colonel Thomas said it was hard for him to find the right words to say and he just want-ed to thank everyone who had made his job at MacDill easier. He also thanked the leaders of the Tampa Bay community for attending and he reflected on his time at MacDill.

“There aren’t very many Air Force wings and there are many more officers who deserve to be in charge of one, so I feel very thankful to have gotten the opportunity to be the commander of

the 6th AMW,” said Colonel Thomas. “I take satisfaction in knowing the wing is in

good hands, but I am also excited to be moving on to new opportunities,” he said.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with so many great (Airmen) and to be given the opportunity to work with new (Airmen) in the future,” he said. “As a commander it just doesn’t get any better than to be in command of a wing like this.”

During the ceremony General Scott also spoke of Colonel Martin and what type of lead-er he knew him to be.

“Team MacDill get ready,” the general said. “You’re receiving one of AMC’s finest.”

He told Colonel Martin that he had the re-sponsibility of maintaining one of the highest of standards and with all the hard work and late nights ahead of him, his time at MacDill would

6th Air Mobility Wing welcomes new commander

Photo by Tech. Sgt. Sean White

Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott III and Col. Robert Thomas applaud Col. Lawrence Martin after he accepts command of the 6th Air Mobility Wing Monday. Col. Thomas relinquished command of the wing during the ceremony

See COMMAND CHANGE, Page 12

MacDill ThunderboltPublisher: Denise Palmer

Editor: Nick Stubbs

The MacDill Thunderbolt is published by Sunbelt Newspa-pers, Inc., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force. This commercial enterprise newspaper is an authorized publication for distribution to members of the U.S. military services on MacDill. Contents of the MacDill Thunderbolt are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by the U.S. government, the Department of Defense, the Department of

the Air Force or the 6th Air Mobility Wing.The appearance of advertising in this publication, includ-

ing inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force, 6th Air Mobility Wing or Sunbelt Newspapers, Inc., of the products or service advertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user, or patron.

Advertising information may be obtained by calling 259-8104. For classified advertising call 657-4500.

News items for the MacDill Thunderbolt can be submitted to the 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs office, Bldg. 299, at 8208 Hangar Loop Drive, Suite 14, MacDill AFB, FL 33621, or call the MacDill Thunderbolt staff at 828-4586. Email: thunder-bolt@MacDill.af.mil.

Deadline for article submissions is noon, Thursdays to appear in the next week’s publication. Articles received after deadline may be considered for future use. All submissions are considered for publication based on news value and time-liness.

Every article and photograph is edited for accuracy, clarity, brevity, conformance with the “Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual” and Air Force Instruction 35-101.

COMMENTARY

Thunderbolt staff report

The Thunderbolt staff recently got the op-portunity to speak with Col. Lawrence Martin, the 6th Air Mobility Wing commander about who he is and his goals for the 6th AMW. Col. Martin took command of the wing Monday during a change of command ceremony. He comes to MacDill from an assignment as the vice commander of the 379th Air Expedition-ary Wing, Southwest Asia.

Thunderbolt: What do you expect of the

Airmen under your command?

Col. Lawrence Martin: I expect them do their best every day and to uphold our very high standards with themselves and each other. We’re a team of professionals who depend on each other for every-thing.

Thunderbolt: Who are your favorite leaders and role models?

Col. Lawrence Martin: I’ve always liked Gen Ulysses Grant from the American Civil War. Gen Grant failed at many endeavors in his life before he found what he did well, lead people to war. He faced many challenges and setbacks, but conquered them all through dogged determination. He was a com-mon man who accomplished uncommon things with perseverance, common sense and integrity. I also admire Lt. Gen. Jimmy Doolittle. Though Doolittle was best known for leading an amazing raid on To-kyo, his real contribution to the Air Force came in his devotion to the welfare of airmen of all ranks. I’ve had the opportunity to meet with several of the surviving Doolittle Raiders, and my respect for them and Gen Doolittle is immeasurable.

Thunderbolt: What does it mean to you to be our wing commander?

Col. Lawrence Martin: I’m humbled by the op-portunity to be here with such a great team. I’m excited to lead our Airmen when our nation is at war. I look forward to joining the men and women of

the 6th Air Mobility Wing as they fight today’s fight and prepare for tomorrow’s challenges.

Thunderbolt: When you hold your first com-mander’s call what is the first thing you are going to tell your Airmen?

Col. Lawrence Martin: I’ll tell them how proud I am to join their team of professionals as we defend the nation together. And I look forward to getting to know them all over the next few months.

Thunderbolt:.What are your thoughts about MacDill and living in Tampa?

Col. Lawrence Martin: My family, Julia, Jeff, JJ and I, are looking forward to joining the community here in south Tampa. There is so much to see and do, I hope we get the opportunity to explore all that Florida and the Tampa Bay area have to offer!

Meet the new commander —6th AMW commander answers key questions

MEMORANDUM FOR ALL AIR FORCE

PERSONNEL

FROM: HQ USAF/CC1670 Air Force PentagonWashington, DC 20330-1670SUBJECT: Wear of the Blue Uniforms

Prior to events of Septem-ber 11, 2001, it was common practice for a majority of Air Force member to wear the blue uniform as their duty uniform. While MAJCOM policies often differed, it was also common practice to wear utility uni-forms one day a week. Post-9/11 we’ve moved away from our blue uniforms almost alto-gether and have transformed into an Air Force that wears our utility uniform on a daily basis.

During our recent 4-Star summit, we had several discus-sions concerning our uniforms, including the wear of our blue uniform on a routine basis. We all agreed that part of our im-age, culture and professional-ism is instilled in our blues. As a result, effective 8 Sep 08, the blue uniform will be the duty uniform worn every Monday by Air Force uniformed personnel in appropriate career fields and environments as determined by your installation commander.

Installation commanders have authority to adjust this policy to meet mission require-ments (e.g., AOR, exercises, etc.).

If you have questions or concerns, contact the AFPC Contact Center at Commer-cial (800) 616-3775 / DSN 665-5000.

NEWS/FEATURES

by Staff Sgt. Robert Maki6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. – Nat-

ural disasters call for fast action, and just 16 hours after being notified of the threat of hurricane Gustav, a Mobile Aeromedical Staging Facility team from the 6th Medical Group, MacDill Air Force Base, was opera-tional and on the ground in Beaumont, Tex-as, supporting the evacuation Aug. 30.

It was a landmark moment for Air Mobil-ity Command. The MASF program has been an Aerovac mission for the past 10 years. This was the first real-world operation for the MASF mission after the change of re-sponsibility to the surgeon general last Oc-tober.

MASF teams are swift, light and rapid response teams capable of deploying any-where around the world. The teams support everything from the area of responsibility to humanitarian missions. They go to forward deployed locations to coordinate, manage and transport medical patients to points of definitive care.

“Our main mission is to move patients from an area of threat to a safer location,” said Tech. Sgt. Ryan Wheatley, Aerospace Medical Service craftsman. “Getting indi-viduals into a patient tracking system and getting them to the care they need is what we are trained to do.”

The 13-member team from MacDill helped evacuate more than 150 patients to Kel-ly AFB. Most patients were from nursing homes and extended care facilities around Beaumont and surrounding communities.

“All team members are handpicked,” said Lt. Col. Elizabeth Coddington, MacDill MASF team commander. “It is a very physi-cally demanding job and all members need to be fully qualified to handle any situation.”

On Aug. 31, the team fell back to Altus AFB to reposition their assets and prepare to redeploy to the areas hit hardest by hur-ricane Gustav.

Although there are 10 MASF’s in the AMC, MacDill and Scott are the only bases to have two fully trained and operational MASF teams.

The 13-member team consists of four nurs-es, one Medical Service Corps, one adminis-trative clerk and seven medical technicians. They deploy with two loaded HUMVEEs which hold more than $35,000 in supplies.

AMC achieves new landmark supporting hurricane evac

Photo by Staf Sgt. Joseph Swafford, Jr.

Members of MacDill Air Force Base 6th Medical Group Mobile Aeromedical Staging Facility team plan for operations enroute to Beaumont, Texas. The team deployed to assist in prepa-ration for hurricane Gustav evacuations.

Photo by Staf Sgt. Joseph Swafford, Jr.

Capt. Jack Bartlet, C-130 Hercules pilot (left) and Senior Airman Robert Clopton, Texas Air National Guard (right) assist Fredalene Flowers onto the aircraft for evacuation. More than 150 patients from nursing homes and extended care facilities in and around Beaumont, Texas, were evacuated in preparation for hurricane Gustav’s arrival.

NEWS/FEATURES

by Nick StubbsThunderbolt editor

It was a humble beginning, with no foretelling of how far, how fast and to what heights military flight would reach. It was August 1, 1907.

On that day the U.S. Army Sig-nal Corps formed an Aeronauti-cal Division, which at the time was focused on the military use of balloons and dirigibles. It had been more than three years since the Wright brothers flew the first heavier-than-air machine, but a military application for the flying contraptions was yet to be envi-sioned.

That didn’t last long.In 1909 the Army took delivery

of its first plane, courtesy of the Wright brothers. In December1913 the 1st Aero Squadron was formed – the first operational flying unit. By the following summer, con-gressional approval was given to create the aviation section of the Signal Corps, with an eye toward advancing the use of flight for military operations. Within weeks, WWI would begin in Europe, and as the United States sat out the first rounds of the Great War, Eu-ropean countries in the struggle would lunge ahead in flight tech-nology, leaving the U.S. at an op-eration disadvantage by the time it entered the war in April, 1917.

Despite its best efforts, U.S. manufacturing could not catch up to the European efforts in the aircraft industry. President Wood-row Wilson responded by creat-ing the Army Air Service, under direct control of the War Depart-ment starting May 24, 1918. By the armistice of November that year, the Air Service had expand-ed to 19,000 officers and 178,000 enlisted. U.S. plants had turned out 11,754 plans, most of which were trainers like the JN-4, better known as the “Jenny”. Following the war, the Air Service was scaled back, much of its manpower and might diminished.

The lessons of the war were not lost on the British, who realized the importance of air power and

formed the Royal Air Force as an independent branch of the service in April 1918.

Billy Mitchell lobbied for a similar model for U.S. forces, but in 1920 the Air Service became a combat arm of the U.S. Army. On July 2, 1926, it became the Air Corps. By 1935, General Head-quarters Air Force took command of the Air Corps tactical units, which until then had been under regional Army corps command.

In the buildup to WWII by Ger-many, the Air Corps maintained but did not grow or modernize, leaving it once again something less than ready for large-scale action.

When Adolf Hitler invaded Po-land in September of 1939, the Air Corps began a steady growth program, starting with 26,000 ser-vicemembers and 2,000 planes. On June 20, 1941, the Department of War created the Army Air Forces, which was a co-equal to Army ground forces, such as the infantry. After the attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, Gen. Henry H. (Hap) Arnold let a buildup and mobili-zation of the Army Air Forces as a transport, pursuit, bombing, re-connaissance and training force.

Star performing hardware of the time included the P-51 Mus-tang fighter, the B-17 Flying For-tress and the larger B-29 Super-fortress.

It was during this period that the force blossomed into what it was to become to present day. It reached a peak of 2.4 million per-sonnel and 80,000 aircraft broken into divisions, groups and squad-rons, flying in every theatre of the war.

By the end of the war, the AAF and its Airmen would dominate the skies over Europe and Japan. Without the AAF contribution, the WWII could not have turned out the way it did. The significance of military flight was signaled stron-gest in August of 1945, when a pair of B-29s dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nakasaki.

Demobilization after the war once again meant a drawdown in manpower and equipment, but not before the U.S. Air Force split off

from the Army, becoming its own, independent branch of the service side by side with the Army and Navy Sept. 18, 1947.

Stuart Symington became the first secretary of the Air Force, and Gen. Carl A. Spaatz was the first chief of staff.

In peace, the Air Force entered a period of testing and experimen-tation with new flying technology, including jet propulsion. On Oct. 14, 1947, test pilot Chuck Yeager flew the Bell SX-1 faster than the speed of sound, beginning the age of the supersonic Air Force.

In the three-year Korean War that began in June 1950, tradi-tional prop and jet aircraft would see service, and the importance of using aircraft in close air support of United Nations ground forces became apparent.

When the war ended, the Air Force did not recede back to the

states, but remained in Europe and throughout the Pacific in sup-port of efforts to halt the spread of communism. The U.S. Air Force be-came critical to the goals of North Atlantic Treaty Organization to stand strong against the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact countries until the collapse of the Soviet sys-tem four decades later.

Air power once again became a critical asset in 1964, when the U.S. began military operations on behalf of South Vietnam. Premier aircraft of that era included the F-4 Phantom II fighter jet and the B-52 bomber, the effectiveness of which was multiplied by the use of the KC-135 Stratotanker as an aerial refueler.

By 1970, the Air Force focused on missile technology and space missions and strategies. Aerial re-fueling capabilities also allowed

Air Force birthday marks 61 years of air power

Then and Now(Top) Lt. Col. Horace Hickam sits in a Curtiss JN-4 Jenny. The colonel was killed in a plane crash Nov. 5, 1934. (Above) Air Force Academy basic cadets prepare to participate in Operation Warrior during basic cadet training. Operation Warrior trains cadets on basic individual and team ground combat skills.

AF photos

See BIRTHDAY, Page 8

Happy B-Day, Sept. 18, 2008

AMC NEWS

by Roger DrinnonAir Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. — Air Mobility Command’s 101 Critical Days of Summer campaign was its most successful ever, with no fatalities among AMC Airmen between Memorial and Labor day holidays.

“I want to express my gratitude to every member of AMC for making this year’s 101 Critical Days of Summer campaign our most successful to date,” said AMC Commander General Arthur J. Lichte. “Due to ... strong leadership, combined with everyone’s out-standing efforts, Air Mobility Command was able to meet the command goal of zero fatali-ties for the very first time.”

The campaign was themed “Be Your Own Safety Manager” and supported a similar Air Force-wide promotion which is conducted annually. The campaign increases personal awareness of safety risks and is aimed at re-ducing the number of preventable mishaps and deaths during June, July and August.

Personal responsibility, traffic safety awareness and a “wingman” attitude were cornerstones to the success of the 2008 cam-paign, said General Lichte.

“This year’s success is a direct reflection of

each individual embracing their responsibil-ity to ‘Be Their Own Safety Manager,’ as well as a reflection of our command’s strong wing-man culture,” he said.

General Lichte also said the command will continue to emphasize traffic safety by making a number of safe-driving courses and programs available, such as the National Safety Council’s “Alive at 25” Defensive Driv-ing Course for younger Airmen and the Air Force Safety Center’s “Save-A-Life Tour” - an awareness program to increase understanding of the serious risks of drinking and driving.

“As an Air Force, we continue to lose more Airmen in traffic accidents than we do con-ducting operations around the globe. We must continue to place special emphasis on driving mishaps,” he said.

Gen Lichte added that safety-mindedness is essential to saving lives year-round.

“Even though the 2008 campaign is of-ficially over, we cannot become complacent. Our keen focus on personal safety must con-tinue,” he said.

AMC safety campaign first to prevent summer fatalities

the Air Force to greatly expand its airlift capabilities around the world. These capabilities paid off in Operation Nickel Grass, sup-porting Israel in the Arab-Israel war of October 1973. C-5 Galaxy and C-141 Starlifters provided a vital link to supply the Israeli forces during the conflict.

In the 1980s technology ad-vances in the Air Force were many. Advanced missile systems, stealth aircraft technology and how they could be used to support ground forces and the Navy at sea became apparent. Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada in 1983, Operation El Dorado Canyon in Libya, and Operation Just Cause in Panama highlighted the increased capabil-ity and precision the modern Air Force was capable of.

With the Cold War over fol-lowing the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, the Air Force en-tered the modern age, its preci-sion displayed during Operation Desert Storm. In no previous war had the starring role of air power been so apparent. Precision-guid-ed weapons dropped and fired from Air Force fighters and bomb-ers became the stuff of newscasts around the world, quickly soften-ing up Iraqi forces and destroying the hardest of targets.

By 1996 the Air Force had con-solidated and downsized, sporting a force of 388,000, contrasted with a high of 600,000 in the 1980s.

Following Desert Storm, Air Force units were maintained in the Persian Gulf and to deter Sad-dam Hussein from threatening his neighbors again. The Air Force also has been played a major role in humanitarian relief in recent

years, its huge airlift capabilities critical to countries (including in parts of the U.S. pounded by hur-ricanes) hit hard by war and natu-ral disasters.

Following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Air Force again proved its value, first in Af-ghanistan in routing the Taliban and dislodging terror bases in the spring of 2002 in Operation En-during Freedom, followed the next year with missions supporting Op-eration Iraqi Freedom. In both ef-forts, air strikes prior to moving in ground forces, as well as close air support during the land war were critical to quick victories with minimal loss of U.S. personnel and equipment.

Today, the Air Force continue its critical combat roles in Afghani-stan and Iraq, its airlift capabili-ties critical to rebuilding efforts, and support of the people and gov-

ernments of both countries, and Airmen on the ground are working to support and augment soldiers and marines, often performing in combat roles vastly different than those of Airmen of the past. Today, Airmen are as likely to be found on combat, convoy and security missions as Soldiers and Marines, so well integrated in some cases as to be hardly distinguishable.

Recently, the Air Force adopted and new area of responsibility, adding cyber space to its air and space missions. The new motto of “Above all the rest” thus has a du-al meaning: a tribute to the bright, dedicated Airman of the force and the nature of the Air Force mis-sion, up and above the physical world, and now in the unseen cy-ber realm.

(Information for this article was obtained from U.S. Air Force pub-lications)

BIRTHDAyFrom Page 4

fly by. Colonel Martin comes to

MacDill after a tour as vice commander of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia. The colo-nel brings with him to his new assignment, his wife, Julia and their two sons, Jeff and JJ.

Colonel Martin entered the Air Force in 1985 as a U.S. Air Force Academy dis-tinguished graduate. He was also a distinguished graduate of both the U.S. Air Force Squadron Officer School and the U.S. Ma-rines Corps Command and Staff College and gradu-ated from the U.S. Air War College with highest aca-demic distinction.

Colonel Martin has served in many diverse positions, including: 350th Air Refueling Squadron, commander, McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., and Unit-ed States Air Force Acad-emy, Assistant Professor of History, U.S. Pacific Com-mand, U.S. Transportation Command Liaison Officer, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii.

He attended undergrad-uate pilot training at Re-ese Air Force Base, Texas, earning his wings in 1986. Colonel Martin is a com-mand pilot with more than 3,700 hours in the C-130, UV-18B and KC-135.

There were numerous military leaders and dis-tinguished guests in atten-dance to bid farewell to Col-onel Thomas and welcome Colonel Martin, including Mr. Darryl Smith, Chief of Staff for the City of Tampa who was representing the mayor of Tampa along with many other civic and busi-ness leaders from the com-munity.

Additionally, Airmen from the 6th Air Mobility Wing, the 6th Maintenance Group, the 6th Mission Support Group, the 6th Medical Group and the 6th

Operations Group partici-pated in a formation dur-ing the ceremony.

In direct address to his new wing, Colonel Martin said, “You just don’t know how happy this Minnesota boy is to be in Tampa. I al-ways wanted to be a good leader and today I get that opportunity on a scale I had only ever dreamed about. I am truly honored to be a part of this and I can’t wait to get to work.”

He also added that he looked forward to meet-ing Team MacDill mem-bers and working with the base’s associates, partners and community friends.

COMMAND CHANGeFrom Page 1

Photo by Tech. Sgt. Sean White

Master Sgt. Matt Gadziala, 6th Operations Group first sergeant, brings Airmen to attention at the 6th Air Mobility Wing change of command ceremony Monday. Col. Robert Thomas relinquished command of the wing to Col. Lawrence Martin.

Undergraduate flying training

The Undergraduate Flying Training selection board will convene at the Air Force Personnel Cen-ter Jan. 13, 2009. The board will review active duty officer applications for selection to pilot, com-bat systems officer and air battle manager training. Officers born after April 1, 1979, with a total fed-eral commissioned service date after April 1, 2004 and who meet all other el-igibility criteria, may ap-ply for UFT.

Waivers and exception to policy requests must be submitted to Formal Training by Sept. 15, 2008 to allow for processing prior to submitting the package to the Wing Com-mander. Suspense to AF-PC for waiver packages is Oct. 10, 2008.

Applicants are required to send all completed ap-plications to HQ AFPC/DPAOT3, 550 C Street West Suite 31, Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4733 post-marked no later than Nov. 14, 2008. Incomplete ap-plications or missing data may result in the package not being processed.

All applicants are re-quired to take the Air Force Officer Qualifica-tion Test. Pilot applicants must also take the Test of Basic Aviation Skills. Ap-plicants are responsible for notifying their com-manders and supervisors of the application deadline if they are providing com-ments on the Air Force Form 215.

Refer any questions to Formal Training, 828-4004.

AFSA Chapter 552 needs you

Please come out and support your local MacDill AFSA Chapter 552. Meet-ings are held the third Tuesday of every month at the Enlisted Club at 11:30 a.m. All ranks are welcome. Please contact MSgt Rhonda Chapman 826-2757, SMSgt Monica Pemberton 827-9309 or MSgt Nicole Winchester 827-9308 for more infor-mation.

Attention artists, craftsmen

The Arts and Crafts Center is now seeking submissions for the 2008 Air Force Arts and Crafts Gallery Showcase. There are two categories: Art-ist-Craftsman and Pho-tography. Each category has three age divisions. A maximum of six entries may be submitted per per-son. Work can be submit-ted for local display now through Sept. 30. The top 50 Air Mobility Command entries will be submitted Dec. 31 and final selec-tions will be on display on the Gallery Showcase website in February 2009.

Local Comptrollers give back

The Tampa Bay Chap-ter of the American So-

See IN BRIEF, Page 19

IN BRIEF

SISTER SERVICES

by Cpl. Robert W. BeaverMarine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO — Life in Iraq seemed like hell for Pvt. James Akhnana and his family. Iraqi soldiers invaded homes, doing what they pleased while religious groups fought each other.

His family wanted a safer life and they knew they would have to leave Iraq to find it.

“The country was too dangerous with Sad-dam and the rivaling clans,” said Akhnana, Platoon 3271, Company M. “Life was unfair there. If we had photos hung on our walls in our house, the largest picture had to be an image of Saddam. We had to idolize him.”

His family planned to move to America but first moved to Iran when Akhnana was four years old to save money.

His father had a college degree in electri-cal engineering and was able to earn enough money within six months to send his family to America.

Most of his family members settled in Il-linois when they arrived in the states, except for his uncle, who lived in California and was a former commander in the Iraqi Army.

“My uncle started a business and was do-ing financially well for himself,” said Akh-nana, 19. “He let us stay with him until we got on our feet.”

Soon after his family settled with their un-cle, Akhnana’s father could not find a job. In-

stead, an electrical engineering job was avail-able in Illinois, but was not as financially rewarding as before.

“America has been good to my family,” said Akhnana. “We found exactly what we wanted when we got here.”

Things seemed to be going well for Akh-nana’s family until his father was laid off. Fortunately, he received six months sever-ance pay.

Akhnana’s father began searching for an-other job. Three months into his search, his brother suggested that he could be a transla-tor for the military in Iraq.

After a screening in Virginia, his father be-came an Arabic, Assyrian and English trans-lator for the U.S. Army, and is currently serv-ing in Iraq.

“My parents worked hard for the well-be-ing of our family,” said Akhnana. “They made me into a strong person, so I felt like it was my responsibility to be successful.”

Akhnana thought about going to college af-ter high school, but he did not want his par-ents to pay his way.

“I knew it was time to move on,” said Akh-nana. “I had been mooching off my parents my whole life. We’ve been dealing with money since we got to America, and I did not want to give my parents more issues by paying for my college.”

As Akhnana pondered what he was going to do, his friends suggested he look into join-ing the military.

“I spoke with recruiters from all the branches,” said Akhnana. “The Army sounded like a good deal but my friends told me about the Marines.”

The friends who suggested military service were Marines themselves. They explained what the Marine Corps offered.

Akhnana visited a recruiter’s office, seek-

Marine honors his Iraqi family through Corps service

Photo by Cpl. Robert W. Beaver

Pvt. James Akhnana, Platoon 3271, Company M, awaits orders from his drill instructor to attend the Warrior’s Breakfast at the edson Range chow hall at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Aug. 28. Akhnana, 19, joined the Marine Corps to better himself and his family.

See MARINE, Page 21

by Navy Seaman William SelbySpecial to American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2008 – In the wake of Hurricane Gus-tav, the Coast Guard is making preparations for a possible wave of tropical storms and hurricanes, a senior Coast Guard officer said Sept. 5.

“We don’t have a lot of bench strength, but we’re moving forces around in preparation for each one of these operations to posi-tion them so that we can respond,” Coast Guard Vice Adm. Robert J. Papp Jr., commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area, told bloggers during a teleconference to address the current storm systems in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

To be ready for the storms, Papp said, his top concern is to make sure the Coast Guard people are able and primed to do their jobs.

“Just by virtue of where we are located, along the coast, and the fact that one of our most impor-tant resources -- aircraft that we use for conducting rescue and re-covery operations -- are extremely vulnerable, we spend a lot of time looking where that storm might land,” Papp said.

Another concern, Papp said, is making sure all the families of Coast Guard members are safe.

“If [the families] are in danger, then you’ve got Coast Guardsmen who have to worry about families as well as worry about doing their jobs,” he added. “For instance, as

Coast Guard responds to storms

Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary Coone

A Coast Guard Station Ft. Macon 47-foot Motor lifeboat crew con-ducts heavy weather training prior to the arrival of Tropical Storm Hanna, Sept. 5. Coast Guard boat crews train constantly to respond to emergency situations at sea.See COAST GUARD, Page 21

SPORTS/FITNESS

Volleyball championsCENTCOM defeats SOCOM 2-0

Upcoming eventsSeptember17: Air Force Birthday 5k Run

Soccor game scheduleToday: MDG vs. CENTCOM Sep 15: FC58 vs. LRS Sep 16: CENTCOM vs. MDG Sep 17: Coalition vs. SOCOM Sep 18: CS vs. CENTCOM Sep 19: FC58 vs. Coalition

All standings and schedules can be viewed at http://www.eteamz.com/macdillafb/index.cfm

SPORTS BRIEFS

by Airman 1st Class Katherine B. Holt6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

An Airman slams his supervisor to the ground! Pins him down and makes him beg for mercy. Sur-prisingly, this Airman got no paperwork!

There is only one place on base this could work: Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training classes at the Fitness Center.

Airman wanting the same opportunity can at-tend classes Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. upstairs in the aerobics room. With his short and stocky build, one would not know that the instructor, Rob Kahn, holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and has more than 10 years of training.

“I started training with the Gracie family at the end of 1994,” said Mr. Kahn. “And I fell in love with it.”

Mr. Kahn added that Jiu-jitsu is a love or hate is-

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu comes to base Fitness CenterBy Staff Sgt. Patrice Clarke

6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

Athletes understand the feeling you get when there is two outs, in the bottom of the 9th and you’re up by 8, with no runners on base; or the feeling when it’s the two minute warning, in the 4th quar-ter and you’re up by 21. Airman 1st Class John Little, 6th Security Forces Squad-ron, knows that feeling well. He won the Air Force Military Golf Championship by 9 strokes to secure a spot in the Armed Forces Championship tournament mak-ing him the lowest ranking person to ev-er win that tournament.

Golf didn’t just start for this Airman. His love for golf began when he was 10 years old and picked up his first club.

“I originally grew up on a golf course,” said Airman Little. “Our backyard was the 7th hole and I just started playing.”

Airman Little participated in a lot of tournaments growing up and even played the three years while attending Auburn University before joining the military in 2006. For eight months after joining the military he wasn’t able to pick up a club.

“I mean between basic training, tech-nical school or just being brand new at the base; I just didn’t play,” said Airman Little. “One day a staff sergeant in the squadron invited me out to play and I jumped on the chance.”

One game was all it took, responded Airman Little. “It brought it all back, the love of the game all the old memories … everything.”

It wasn’t until a conversation with someone on the flightline that got Air-man Little into the Military Varsity Sports arena. “I overheard someone talk-ing about golf. He told me about going to the fitness center and talking to the sports director.”

That talk got him to the Air Force Mil-itary Golf Championship.

After the first day of the tourney, he was in first place and stayed there.

“It was my first tourney in over two years,” said Airman Little. “I automati-cally had nerves but by the 2nd hole the nerves went away. You remember how it felt to play in tournaments.”

There were 38 people in the tourna-ment comprised of Airmen from through-out the Air Force. Airman Little won the

tournament by nine points and was the lowest ranking person to ever take the title.

A win at the all Air Force tourna-ment secured a spot in the Armed Forces Tournament Championship held at Fort Gordon, GA., which pits the best golfers throughout the entire military against each other.

“There was only three days between the Air Force tournament and the Armed Forces tournament,” said Airman Little. “I didn’t have time to realize the enor-mity of winning the AF tourney.”

SFS Airman putts onto Team

Photo by Airman Kate Benoy

Airman First Class John Little practices his gold swing at MacDill Sept. 2. Air-man Little won two gold medals for the MacDill golf team.

See Jiu-Jitsu, Page 20

Photo by Senior Airman Rachel Cunningham

Private first class Pete Martinez, food service spe-cialist at Special Operations Command, is learning Gracie Jiu-jitsu from black belt Rob Kahn. Kahn teaches Jiu-jitsu Mondays and Wednesdays.

Article 15’s for August

July 30, 2008: a senior airman from the 6th Medical Support Squadron received an Article 15 for disorderly conduct and resist-ing arrest. His punishment con-sisted of a suspended reduction to the grade of airman first class, suspended forfeitures of $250.00 pay per month for two months, 30 days restriction to base and a reprimand.

Aug. 6, 2008: a major from USSOCOM received an Article 15 for making two false official statements. His punishment con-sisted of a reprimand.

Aug. 7, 2008: an airman first class from the 6th Services

Squadron received an Article 15 for wrongful use of marijuana. Her punishment consisted of a reduction to the grade of airman basic, suspended forfeitures of $150.00 pay per month for two months, 20 days extra duty and a reprimand.

Aug. 11, 2008: a technical sergeant from the 6th Logistics Readiness Squadron received an Article 15 for failure to obey a lawful general regulation. His punishment consisted of reduc-tion to the grade of staff ser-geant, forfeitures of $680.00 pay per month for two months and a reprimand.

Aug. 21, 2008: an airman first class from the 6th Logistics Read-

iness Squadron received an Arti-cle 15 for the dereliction of duty. His punishment consisted of a suspended reduction to the grade of airman, forfeiture of $793.00 pay per month for two months, 45 days extra duty of which 35 days of the extra duty were suspended and a reprimand.

Discharges for August

Aug. 25, 2008: an Airman from the 6th Communications Squad-ron was discharged from the United States Air Force for Mis-conduct: Drug Abuse. He was discharged with an Under Honor-able Conditions (General) service characterization.

ciety of Military Comptrollers (ASMC), a non-profit professional association, focuses its efforts in two main areas; professional development and community ser-vice. Chapter members recently had the opportunity to excel in both areas as hosts of a national resource management training event, held in May in Orlando, called the Professional Development Institute (PDI). Sixty local members worked closely with the national ASMC headquarters to develop a dynamic professional development program for over 4,000 worldwide attend-ees, while also raising money for a local charity.

The community service effort came in the form of fund-raising. Tampa Bay ASMC was honored to select the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) as the official charity of the event. The SOWF focuses on providing college education to the children of special operations personnel killed in the line of duty, along with other support to their families. The host commit-tee combined donations in the name of guest speakers with a Wii raffle and a silent auction during the PDI to support the SOWF. As a result, a donation of more than $16,000 was made to the SOWF at the Tampa Bay ASMC luncheon meeting held on August 25 at the Surf ’s Edge Enlisted Club.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Tampa Bay Chapter of ASMC can contact Ms Veronica Floyd at 826-3567.

IN BRIeFFrom Page 13

Job Title: Medical Technician

Home town: Sumter, South Car-olina

Short-term goals: To get SrA BTZ and go back to college.

Long-term goals: To be General Dixon and to one day have my own medical practice.

Role model(s): Of course I ad-mire the many soldiers that have served before me and those that are still serving but I do not have a role model. I try not to model myself after anyone because then I am just a copy.

Advice to others: To remember that life is only what you make it. Do not be the person who sits back and watches.

Airman First Class Laurencia S. Dixon 6th Medical Operations Squadron

Diamond Sharp

sue. He said that people either develop a great passion for it, or it is just not for them.

Jiu-jitsu is a combination of submissions, positions and grappling and focuses mainly on ground fighting. It has minimal rules and no weight class.

At the Fitness Center, the classes have more emphasis on Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and are geared for beginners.

“Anyone could walk in to the class, never have taken a Jiu-jitsu class, and would be able to do all the things that are taught in the class,” said Master Sgt. Katherine Munsey, 6th Services Squadron sports and fitness special-ist.

Sergeant Munsey added that by taking the training, servicemembers can gain skills and techniques that would be useful for everyday life.

“We have had a contracted with Rob since the beginning of July,” commented Sergeant Munsey. “We heard about him and asked him

to come and teach classes here.”Mr. Kahn explained that there is no better

martial art for woman to learn than Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He said that with the skills learned in the class will enable them to fight any-where and overcome dramatic issues in size and strength.

“If you have no Jiu-jitsu experience, this is the perfect class for you,” concluded Mr. Kahn.

After a couple classes, the same Airman’s supervisor got his revenge, and he showed no mercy. All it took was a couple of classes.

JIU-JISTSUFrom Page 15

ing more information. During that visit, he made his choice.

“The Marine Corps offered a deeper sense of pride and better training,” said Akhnana. “It looked like a great step forward in life that would give what I need to be successful.”

Akhnana broke the news to his family.“Our mom freaked out when she heard,”

said Jennifer Akhnana, his sister. “She knew that he would always be gone and would only visit sometimes. She had trouble letting go but eventually supported his decision.”

His sister also said she was shocked he made the choice because he was known for being the typical immature high school stu-dent.

“I think this will be a good thing for him,” said Jennifer.

His father also gave his blessing during a phone call from Iraq. Three weeks later, Akhnana enlisted in the Marine Corps and shipped to boot camp here June 9.

“I enjoyed boot camp a lot,” said Akhnana. “The Marine Corps seems like a good fit for me. I was interested in all the knowledge they crammed into my head.”

Akhnana said he enjoyed the environment of boot camp.

“He added to the character of the pla-toon, and without him, they would not be the unique group they are,” said Sgt. Christopher Boelzner, drill instructor, Platoon 3271.`

Boelzner, a Boston native, said Akhnana was self-motivating through the training cy-cle and said he will make a good Marine. He added that stress does not affect Akhnana, even with the hardships he has been through previous to training.

“The thought of going back to Iraq scared me,” said Akhnana. “The more I trained here, the more confident I became. We are trained to do what we do successfully, if necessary.”

Akhnana enlisted with a legal administra-tion option for his interest in law. After leav-ing the depot today, he will return home for 10 days of boot camp leave before continuing training at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendle-ton, Calif.

Gustav approached the coast in the Gulf, one of the first things we focused on was evacuating the families, making sure they were taken care of.”

With their families safe, Coast Guard members can then be positioned to follow the storm as well as to conduct post-storm surveys and rescue and recovery operations.

Papp also addressed some of the train-ing that the Coast Guard does in prepara-tion for this weather.

“We actually do dress rehearsals throughout the year,” Papp said. “In fact, Atlantic area staff, back a couple of months ago, did what we call a continu-ity of operation plan, movement out to St. Louis.”

In addition to Coast Guard training and preparation, Papp said one of the things the service stresses the most is

public preparation. “I think the worst thing people can do is

perhaps get apathetic because storms turn out to be not as severe as they thought they might be, or they did an awful lot of preparation and then the storm veers elsewhere,” he said. “Preparations made for a storm are never wasted, because it gets you in a frame of mind.”

Although most of the news has been pleasant and positive in relation to the storms, Papp mentioned that the Coast Guard lost a four-man crew Sept. 4 while doing an exercise with a small boat about five miles south of Honolulu.

“We just ask that everybody keep our Coast Guard shipmates in their thoughts and prayers, and it’s a stark reminder that the things we do are done in danger-ous environments,” he said.

MARINeFrom Page 14

COAST GUARDFrom Page14

At the Movies

Chapel ScheduleProtestant servicesSunday - 9 a.m., Traditional Service10:30 a.m., Religious Education, Noon, Gospel ServiceTuesday -Noon, Promise KeepersWednesday - 10:30 a.m., Women of the ChapelThursday - 11:30 a.m., Officers’ Christian Fel-lowship

Catholic servicesSaturday - Mass, 5:30 p.m.Sunday - Mass, 10:30 a.m.Monday to Thursday: Mass, 12:10 p.m.Saturday - Sacrament of Reconciliation, 4:30 p.m., (or by appointment) Jewish and Islamic servicesCall 828-3621 for information.

Saturday, 13 September2008

3 pm & 6 pmDoors open 1/2 hourprior to show

Base Theater2420 Florida Keys Ave.MacDill AFB Florida

*RESERVATIONS REQUIRED*Call the A&FRC at 828-2721 orMFRC at 655-9281

Open to All Active Duty Military, Reserves, Guard, Retirees, DoD Civilians, Contractors and Their Families! RESERVATIONS REQUIRED!

FREEEvent!

Saturday 6 p.m.

Free Event - USO Sesame Street

A free 60-minute show geared for military families and spon-sored by the USO. There will be give-aways and free outreach materials.

Coming Soon

The X Files: I want to believe

“I Want to Believe” is a stand-alone story in the tradition of some of the show’s most ac-claimed and beloved episodes, and takes the complicated re-lationship between Fox Mulder and Dana Scully in unexpected directions. PG-13

Friday 7 p.m.

The Mummy - Tomb of the Dragon EmperorExplorer Rick O’Connell

to combat the resurrected Han Emperor in an epic that races from the catacombs of ancient China high into the frigid Himalayas. PG-13

Saturday 3 p.m.

Free Event - USO Sesame Street

A free 60-minute show geared for military families and sponsored by the USO. There will be give-aways and free outreach materials.

Sesame Street

Shows and times are subject to change. Call the MacDill Theater at 828-2780 for complete list-ings. Doors normally open 20 minutes prior to show-time, but call the theater for verification because they may open earlier. Tickets are $4. Children under 4 are free, unless it’s a G-rated movie.

The Mummy

MACDILL COMMUNITYKick Off!Julia Stevenson, local Federal Cam-paign coordinator for the wing, Tony McKenna, director of Combined Fed-eral Campaign Suncoast, and Capt. Michael Laubach, loaned executive for the wing, look on as Col. Larry Martin, wing commander, kicks off CFC with his personal contribution. CFC will be running until Oct. 26.

Photo by Airman First Class Katherine B. Holt

Got News?If you have a news item of interest

and would like to see it published in the Thunderbolt, please e-mail it to thun-derbolt@macdill.af.mil. Be sure to in-clude all important information regard-ing time and place. Photos should be at least 150 dpi.

The X Files

Saturday, 13 September2008

3 pm & 6 pmDoors open 1/2 hourprior to show

Base Theater2420 Florida Keys Ave.MacDill AFB Florida

*RESERVATIONS REQUIRED*Call the A&FRC at 828-2721 orMFRC at 655-9281

Open to All Active Duty Military, Reserves, Guard, Retirees, DoD Civilians, Contractors and Their Families! RESERVATIONS REQUIRED!

FREEEvent!

Sesame Street