MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, FL -- Members of Leadership Tampa Bay visited MacDill Air Force Base, FL and met with Airmen and civilians employed on base to gain a better understanding of the base’s mission with a focus on Airmen, the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, and its training facilities on May 31, 2018.
The LTB program is designed to identify regional strengths and develops members into future community leaders.
During the visit to the base, members were welcomed by Colonel April Vogel, 6th Air Mobility Wing commander and Col Doug Stouffer, 927th Air Refueling Wing commander, who thanked the LTB class for supporting the wing and participating in MacDill Day.
"I am very grateful to have this abundance of support from our local community," said Stouffer. “We can’t thank you all enough for continuing to support the men and women who serve at this great base every day.” he concluded.
The members tour included a briefing on United States Central Command, a visit to the 6th Air Mobility Wing Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit, lunch provided in the form of Meals Ready to Eat and a briefing from Master Sgt. Matthew Orlando, commandant Airmen Leadership School.
One class member spoke about how impressed he was with the leadership, and the overall mission of the base.
“I came to the base with a limited amount of knowledge about our military and their capabilities,” said John Mitchell, Coca Cola Public Affairs and Community Relations Specialist. “After today, I came away with a better understanding about the Airmen who serve not only on base, but also within the local area as well.”
Finally, the tour concluded with a visit to state-of-the-art training simulators for boom operators of the KC-135, and a visit to the United States Special Operations Command Air Operations Riggers.
“I can’t thank the members of MacDill enough for providing us with this wonderful opportunity to experience what military life is like, this was an outstanding experience,” said Mitchell.