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Tampa Bay Times | Thursday, October 13, 2016 | 1THU

Thursday, October 13, 2016

2 WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM Thursday, October 13, 2016 MACDILL THUNDERBOLT

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. — From the moment we’re born, we need human interaction and crave to be understood. It can have a pro-found effect upon our personal lives by making us feel empowered or conversely by making us feel powerless if those needs are neglected.

It also extends into our professional lives. In fact, many of the most successful companies in the world recognize this and invest in training employees on effective communication. It’s a hard skill-set that can ultimately determine a business’s success or failure.

I’ve always prided myself on being a good com-municator. After all, I’m a photojournalist whose job is to bridge communication gaps and help us understand one another, right? So when I saw the opportunity to attend Air Mobility Com-mand’s Communication Skills Training, I signed up. I thought I could perfect and master an al-ready learned skill. What a sobering experience it was to find that I’m actually terrible at com-municating. Luckily, I wasn’t alone.

One by one, I saw my classmates have the same epiphany. As we chipped away through the course that was unlike any I’d taken, we began to unravel. We began wearing our faults for everyone to see instead of burying them into our subconscious. As a class, we were becoming aware and wanted nothing more than to better ourselves. There was one man in particular, how-ever, who made me brave enough to approach the course with an open mind.

In any other circumstance, he would be some-

one I would instinctively avoid. I’m non-con-frontational. He’s abrasive and intimidating. I don’t like to make decisions until I have all the facts. He’s an “it’s my way or the highway” sort of guy. He stood well over 6 feet tall and had a bass-filled voice that I could feel vibrate off the walls. When I think of friction, I think of him. Well, I thought of him. But in an instant my opin-ion of him changed when he did what most of us couldn’t do.

He admitted that his failure to communicate has pushed him into solitude.

“I don’t have any friends,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t; and my marriage is crumbling.”

Then, as his eyes turned red, he said if he died tomorrow, he couldn’t scrape up six people to car-ry his coffin.

That evening, I went home and reflected on my own shortcomings and the things that have kept me from being the person I want to be. I decided that if he was going to give this class an honest chance, I was going to also.

In the end, this is what I learned:On confrontation

When we think of confrontation, we associate it with negativity. It’s uncomfortable. It brings anxiety. But confrontation, if approached right, is just an opportunity. The key to successful conflict resolution, though, is not as much about confront-ing as it is listening, something we often forget.

There are only three logical, healthy moves when faced with a problem: truly accept the be-havior (not false acceptance), adjust the circum-stances, or ask for change.

When confronting someone, the important thing to remember is that we are ultimately ask-

ing them for their help. We are bringing them a problem, so it is their problem to solve – not ours. When we take ownership of a conversation, we prevent the other person from being empowered, and we are less likely to have our own needs met.

Bringing up an issue is uncomfortable for both sides, but by getting into that awkward box with them, we are saying, “You don’t have go at this alone. We can do this together.”On listening

We’ve all had it happen to us, and we’ve all done it to other people. While talking to someone about a concern, you realize that the other per-son isn’t truly listening. They’re just waiting for their opportunity to talk. Then, they tell you how they’d deal with it. They meet your problem with judgment or advice when all you wanted was to be heard. We know what we need to do. We just need a sounding board to work through the prob-lem on our own.

When listening, silencing the mind is the hard-est thing to do, but it is necessary if we want to be effective communicators. We need to silence our judgments, responses, and all of the distrac-tions in our head and offer an empathetic ear.

Data suggests that 90 percent of our com-munication is non-verbal. The tone of our voice, eye contact, body language, and the message we speak must be harmonized in order to show sin-cerity.

As we’ve heard before, it’s not what we say—it’s how we say it. People will remember how you make them feel, and that is more important than what is said. So the next time an Airman comes

COMMANDER’S ACTION LINE

The Action Line provides two-way communication between the 6th Air Mobility Wing commander and the MacDill community. Personnel may submit questions, concerns or comments via email to [email protected].

Website: www.macdill.af.mil

Facebook: www.facebook.com/

MacDillAirForceBase

Instagram: macdill_afb

Twitter: @macdill_afb

COMMENTARY

COMMENTARY, Page 13

MACDILL THUNDERBOLT Thursday, October 13, 2016 WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM 3

According to the 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, the num-ber of veterans combating life on the streets is approximately 39,500.

Although a significant decrease from 2010, when there were as many as 67,000, combating homelessness for veterans remains a top priority for the Veterans Administration.

Citizen Airmen from the 927th Air Refueling Wing and active-duty Air-men from the 6th Air Mobility Wing Dental Clinic traveled approximately 40 miles north of MacDill Air Force Base to the Veteran’s Memorial Park in Hudson, to join with hundreds of other community volunteers for the 2016 Operation Stand Down event that ran from Sept. 29 through Oct. 1.

During the three-day event, approximately 170 homeless veterans reg-istered and were bussed in from communities as far away as Brandon and St. Petersburg. Another 130 declined transportation and walked from nearby communities. No matter how they arrived, all benefited from more than a dozen complimentary services, such as employment workshops, hot meals, hot showers and haircuts.

“I know I can’t change every homeless veteran’s life, but if I can give a glimmer of hope to a just few, show them that we care, it makes it all

VETS, Page 15

No television. No phone. No computer. Add in a lack of regular electricity and running water, then ask yourself, “could I survive?” One MacDill Airman has lived to tell the tale and has gone on to excel.

“Coming from nothing, it (the Air Force) seemed like the best opportunity for my life,” said Tech. Sgt. Evelyn Chromey, NCO in charge of personal property with the 6th Logistics Readi-ness Squadron (LRS), when asked about her de-cision to join the Air Force.

The scene is Supe Pueblo, a small town just outside of Lima, Peru. A young Chromey and her family live in poverty. Her father, a former mem-ber of the Peruvian air force, migrated to the U.S. to work as a commercial aircraft mechanic.

As a result, her mother acted as sole provid-er for three daughters. Chromey, the youngest, remembers learning the meaning of hard work and valuing the little things from watching her mother.

“My mom had to work different jobs to raise us,” said Chromey. “So we valued anything we could get our hands on.”

At the age of 6, Chromey and her sisters left

NEWS/FEATURES

SUCCESS, Page 12


WEEK IN PHOTOS


A courtesy photo of a Firefighter Challenge event featuring Colonels Chad Franks, Mark Koppen and Neil Robinson, on page 7 of the Oct. 6 edition of the Thunderbolt, was taken at Moody Air Force Base. A different location was given.


Contractors started a two-week dismantling process of the F-4 Phantom display at the Memorial Park on MacDill Air Force Base Sept. 26.

The main question is, why get rid of the aircraft?Maintaining aircraft and equipment on a military installation that sits

in the middle of a peninsula can be a challenge due to the corrosive environ-ment. The saltwater in the air deteriorated the F-4 display until it became a safety hazard, which made it impossible to move and too cost prohibitive to be repaired.

Assistance was requested by wing leadership to find a more suitable home for the aging F-4 from the National Museum of the US Air Force, but after completing a thorough assessment it was determined the plane was too de-teriorated to repair. The decision was made to disassemble and recycle it ac-cording to the procedures established by the Defense Logistics Agency.

NEWS/FEATURES

F-4, Page 11

— Capt. Elkin Medina


AMC NEWS

The secretary of the Air Force announced recently that Headquarters Air Mobility Command will consolidate with Headquarters Military Air-lift Command, effective Oct. 1.

With this, AMC will add 51 years to its history, tracing its lineage back to May 29, 1941 and the Air Corps Ferry Command.

“This consolidation makes AMC the oldest major command in the Air Force,” said Gen. Carlton D. Everhart, AMC commander. “For more than 75 years, Mobility Airmen have been critical to growing global reach and operational agility for the joint warfighter. As we inherit the rich history of MAC, we will continue to build upon their legacy through our dedica-tion to rapid global mobility.”

The Air Force established the Air Mobility Command in 1992 as part of a post-Cold War reorganization that inactivated three major commands, Military Airlift Command, Strategic Air Command and Tactical Air Com-mand. These three major commands were replaced with two new major commands, Air Mobility Command and Air Combat Command.

Through this change, AMC received the airlift and aeromedical evacu-ation mission from MAC along with the air refueling mission from SAC.

During that same year, U.S. Strategic Command was established as a unified command of the Department of Defense. As a result, the Air Force authorized the use of the SAC emblem while AMC used the MAC

emblem and ACC used the TAC emblem. Although this decision helped preserve the emblems of the Air Force’s inactivated commands, there was no lineage connecting the new organizations and the old ones with their predecessors.

“This created confusion as an emblem should belong to one organiza-tion only,” said Ellery Wallwork, AMC command historian. “In 1992, the Air Force reorganized to acknowledge the diminishing traditional divi-sion between strategic and tactical missions. This inappropriate use of another organization’s emblem continued to cause confusion over the sep-aration of AMC and MAC ever since.”

In 2009, the Air Force redesignated and reactivated the inactivated SAC as the Air Force Global Strike Command.

In an effort to eliminate the confusion and validate the use of past com-mand emblems, the Air Force Historical Research Agency advocated for the AMC consolidation with MAC along with the ACC consolidation with TAC, said Wallwork.

Now that MAC and AMC share one genealogical line, the history of the two organizations will remain a part of the Air Force’s active history.

“AMC now shares in the honors and campaign streamers earned by MAC,” said Wallwork. “All of this does not lessen the creation of AMC in 1992 which still highlights the mission merger of MAC’s airlift and aeromedical evacuation with SAC’s air refueling force creating the strong mobility team that has been so successful in meeting today’s global peace-time, contingency and humanitarian missions.”


In response to Hurricane Matthew, the 6th Force Sup-port Squadron (FSS) at MacDill Air Force Base wasted little time springing into action to provide comfort and support to those displaced by the storm.

On Oct. 6 and 7 more than 150 evacuees traveled through MacDill’s gates seeking refuge at the MacDill Inn. The 6th FSS staff immediately called in addition-al personnel to ensure they could provide assistance to those in need.

“Many of the people that arrived were very distraught,” said Susan Long, Airman and Family Services Flight Chief assigned to the 6th FSS. “We are here to support and put these families at ease.”

Despite certain quarters being reserved for military personnel, the 6th FSS staff did not hesitate to open all available rooms to the evacuees. Additionally, the inn dis-tributed cots and extra blankets for those in need.

“We had temporary living facilities that were not avail-able, but opened them two days early,” said Mili Teliferro, general manager of the MacDill Inn. “If people showed up without reservations we didn’t turn anyone away, we made it work. We were able to support 100 percent.”

In support, personnel from the Airman and Family Readiness Center (AFRC) and representatives from the United Services Organizations (USO) center Tampa Bay


provided resources such as snacks, information, stuffed animals and emotional support.

“Everyone has been so grateful,” said Amy Phillips, manager of the USO center Tampa Bay. “We want to bring an extra smile to these families because they’re go-ing through a tough time.”

As a bonus, various entities around the base welcomed evacuees to enjoy their amenities free of charge. The Mac-Dill Lanes Bowling Alley provided free shoes and games, the Youth Center opened its gymnasium to provide dis-placed children with a place to play, and a free movie was offered at the base theater.

“The stuff for the kids is awesome,” said Rachel Reda, a military spouse from Melbourne, Florida. “We’re grate-ful that they [MacDill] have stepped up and provided us a place to stay.”

According to Teliferro, people have expressed to her their never-ending gratitude for the support the 6th FSS has provided.

“When forces of nature hit, it’s easy to accept defeat and give into fear. My team knew that and they jumped into action to make sure every displaced person knew they were valued,” said Lt. Col. Serigo Rios, commander of the 6th FSS. “Most of these folks left their homes un-certain of what they would return to; the least we could do here is provide them with some semblance of certainty -- and that’s that they are cared for and we’re here to help them when things look bleak.”


While some may be sad to see the historic aircraft go, visitors have something to look forward to.

“MacDill leadership is in-terested in recapitalizing Memorial Air Park in a way that is more representative of the many aircraft, units, and Airmen that have called MacDill home for more than 75 years,” said Stephen Ove, the historian assigned to the 6th Air Mobility Wing. “The thought is to make the park a more functional area while paying homage to MacDill’s long history.”

The park will continue to be a ceremonial center where heritage is displayed, includ-ing several existing memorials.

“MacDill is working to dis-play its heritage while pro-viding a safer environment for Team MacDill for official ceremonies and functions,”

said Capt. Elkin Medina, maintenance operations offi-cer assigned to the 6th Main-tenance Squadron.

Along with missions dur-

ing Vietnam, the F-4 flew missions at MacDill from 1974 to 1975 and was the lead Thunderbird at Nellis Air Force Base.


their mother to move to Mi-ami, Florida. There, they lived with her father, who possessed a better means of caring for his children. Despite an improved stan-dard of living, the transition still presented obstacles. As native Spanish speak-ers, learning English posed a challenge. Coupled with a feeling of homesickness, Chromey’s sisters decided to return to the familiarity of Peru.

Living in a “foreign” en-vironment under a single-

parent household, Chromey quickly learned to fend for herself. Her father, often away at work, set clear-cut rules to keep her safe. Each day she fed herself and made sure to be in the right place at the right time, fur-ther developing her disci-pline.

At the age of 12, Chrom-ey’s father was sent to Afri-ca for work. As a result, she was sent to attend military school in Peru.

“Attending military school was the norm in Pe-

ru,” said Chromey. “I had to get used to wearing a uni-form and attending forma-tion every morning.”

Three years later, political unrest created an unstable environment. Due to a ter-rorist organization known as “Shining Path,” Peru was deemed too dangerous by her parents. Chromey, then 15 years old, returned to Mi-ami to once again live with her father.

This time, however, her father’s strict rules fueled Chromey’s desire for inde-

pendence. A year after high school graduation, she en-listed into the U.S. Air Force.

“My father didn’t find out until I called him from ba-sic training,” said Chromey. “Because I left the house, he thought I was being a rebel at first; once I graduated, he was very proud that I was following in his footsteps.”

According to Chromey, the transition into the U.S. Air Force lifestyle was an easy one. Thanks to her dis-ciplined upbringing she was already prepared. However, her time spent in Peru from age 12 to 15 reduced her ability to speak English. Not to mention, she lacked resources that many people in the U.S. receive regular access to starting in their childhood.

“Coming out of high school, I had never used a computer,” said Chrom-ey. “Everything was done through research with books. Coming into the military, I had to learn ev-erything from scratch—the language, how to use email, even how to type.”

Since then, Chromey has remained resilient while progressing to the rank of technical sergeant, attend-ing various NCO academies, and becoming a valuable

member of the travel man-agement office. She cur-rently supervises 12 Airmen and ensures the personal property of MacDill person-nel is cared for as members transition to their next duty station.

“Tech. Sgt. Chromey is an essential member of her section and a vital mem-ber of the squadron,” said Senior Master Sgt. Darryl Williams, Deployment and Distribution flight chief as-signed to the 6th LRS. “She leads boldly, ensuring her team knows the household goods entitlements so they can share their knowledge with permanent change of station members of Team MacDill, enabling them to have a smooth transition.”

Family, Chromey’s driv-ing force, continues to add fuel to the furnace as she works toward chief master sergeant, the highest enlist-ed rank.

Looking back, Chromey doesn’t hesitate to express pride in her Air Force career and is thankful for every opportunity it has afforded her.

“I love the Air Force,” said Chromey. “This has become my entire life, and I think it’s a great opportunity for most people.”


up to my desk, I’m not going to tell them to wait one second while I finish an email as I have done in the past. I’m going to show them that they are my first priority and give them a listening ear.On empathy

Often in life we speak to be heard but rarely to listen. We judge people based on their actions but we judge ourselves by our intentions. Imagine if instead we empathized with the intentions of others like we do our own. This is empathy. It doesn’t mean we have to agree. It doesn’t mean we have to fold. It just means we care enough to attempt to feel what others feel and see things the way they do. This is the key to communication, and this is what makes us human.

Even in regards to our enemies, understanding is key. Amaryllis Fox, a former undercover CIA agent, shared what she believed to be her most important takeaway from her experiences.

“I think the question we need to be asking as Americans examining our foreign policy is whether or not we’re pour-ing kerosene on a candle,” Fox said. “The only real way to disarm your enemy is to listen to them.

“As long as your enemy is a subhuman psychopath that’s going to attack you no matter what you do, this never ends. But if your enemy is a policy, however complicated, that we can work with.”On motivating

The truth is, I can’t motivate a single person. The only thing I can do is create an environment in which people mo-tivate themselves.

There’s an old fisherman’s tale that I often turn to: if you put a single crab in a boiling pot without a lid, the crab will escape. If you put multiple crabs in a boiling pot, you won’t need to cover it at all. The crabs will pull at each other, pre-venting any one of them from escaping.

If we are aware enough to see just how inefficient this is, then we can take steps to change this. We are motivated by our own needs and tend to pull to get ahead instead of offer-ing a bent knee to help each other find solutions. We forget that we have the ability to help each other help ourselves.

What makes us human? What is the key to restoring our faith in humanity? The ability to empathize. Without it, there can be no progress. Without it, our life loses meaning.

The next time the course is highlighted in those public af-fairs bulletins, I encourage you to take a shot at it. Maybe it can help you, like me, become human again.


COMMUNITY

Inaugural Firefighter’s Challenge Grassy lot across from 6 AMW

Wing HQ from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Firefighter-based obstacle course designed for a four-person team and judged on a time completion basis. Fastest time wins. 1st place: $500 FSS gift card • 2nd place: $200 FSS gift card • 3rd place: $100 FSS gift card. Everyone is invited to watch the competition begins at noon. For more information contact Tech. Sgt Morris at 828-3630 or email [email protected]

Arts & Crafts CenterFancy Witch Hat Craft Class

from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Cost is $15 per person. Make a fabulous witch hat for Halloween. Class size is limited to 8. Call 828-4413.

Bay Palms Golf ComplexClub Member Appreciation –

Free golf and cart to AF Club card members. Call 840-6904 to make your tee time today. Must show val-id club card when checking in.

Surf’s Edge ClubMembership Lunch/Oktoberfest

from 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Grilled brat-wurst with sauerkraut and assorted mustards, chicken jagerschnitzel, traditional sauerbraten, spaetzle, kartoffelpuffer mit apfelmus (potato pancakes with apple sauce), kartof-felsalat (warm German potato sal-ad), rotkohl (braised red cabbage), glazed carrots, pretzel rolls, schwar-zwälder kirschtorte (Black Forrest Cake), German chocolate cake, ap-ple strudel, iced tea and coffee and water. Club members: free. Family member: $11. All others: $12. *Res-required for parties of 10 or more. Call 840-2020.

Mark your calendarOct. 21 – Mac”Thrill”villeOct. 28 – Halloween Costume 5K RunOct. 29 – Ben Bailey Comedy Show

For all other faith groups or for any questions, please contact the Chapel by visiting http://www.macdill.af.mil/macdillchapel or calling 828-3621

Team MacDill, we want to know how you like to get your news and information.

Whether you prefer social media, a tablet or even like the feeling of picking up a newspaper, here’s your chance to let us know.

The 2016 MacDill Air Force Base Where Airmen Get Their Information survey was created so we can better

understand where our readers get their official infor-mation, whether it is Airmen, civilians, retirees, depen-dents. It also covers the various channels of informa-tion distribution, like the official website vs. Facebook.

The survey will run through the end of October. Don’t miss your chance to have your voice heard!

Go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6amwsurvey


worthwhile,” said Stand Down dental assistant volunteer, Staff Sgt. Kerry Tromba, 927th Force Support Squadron, education and training technician. “Giving up a few hours of my time is the least I can do for these men and women who at some point in their life were willing to pay the ulti-mate price.”

Statistics indicate that veterans are twice as likely to be chronically homeless compared to other citizens. The reasons can vary, from a weak family and social support system, to difficulty mirroring military skill sets to a civil-ian career. These factors combined with the increased like-lihood that veterans will exhibit symptoms of Post Trau-matic Stress Syndrome, substance abuse, or mental illness put veterans at a greater risk of homelessness than the general population.

The most welcomed luxury provided by the Stand Down, that eludes most veterans combating life on the streets, is a good night’s rest.

“When you live in the woods, you are constantly looking over your shoulder for a potential threat of theft or vio-lence,” said Bill Lewis, Operation Stand Down volunteer. “We have had veterans share that one of the best things of the Stand Down is the ability to go to sleep at night and be able to totally relax, knowing they are secure.”

Complimentary services did not stop there; medical per-sonnel were on hand to provide minor medical care, dental exams and dental treatment for the homeless veterans.

“What a phenomenal opportunity this is,” said Maj. Eliz-abeth Ho, 927th Aerospace Medical Squadron, D.M.D. “To help our homeless veterans who otherwise would not have access to proper dental care is an indescribable feeling; it’s amazing.”

This year, more than 300 homeless veterans attended the event, most walking away well rested, with a full belly, new clothes and a fresh haircut. But according to Lewis, many of the vets attending Operation Stand Down will leave with more than three days of comfort and security. They will become long-term success stories providing hope and serving as an example for future vets in need.

“I was personally blessed by hearing that one Veteran who has attended the past three years is now two years sober and will be moving into his own home within a few days,” said Lewis. “Another Veteran, also attending for sev-eral years, is two months sober and is also in stable housing.

“Sometimes it’s ‘baby steps.’ but that’s OK as long as they’re in the right direction.”

Homeless veterans or those at imminent risk of becom-ing homeless, can call or visit their local VA Medical Cen-ter or Community Resource and Referral Center where VA staff are ready to help. Veterans and their families may also call 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838) to access VA services.

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