By the numbers, MacDill Air Force Base (AFB) funds a multibillion-dollar industry for Tampa Bay all within its own borders. There is a total of 7,608 military personnel on Base plus another 8,147 civilian officers. Collectively, MacDill AFB brings in $3.7 Billion to the region and supports a plethora of ancillary services. I think all of LT ’23 can say, that it makes us proud to have them share our home.
The #BCE had the privilege to spend a full day touring the Base and interacting with some of our nation’s finest. First, we got a bus tour of a portion of the Base, surveilling many of the buildings and waterfront property. There are some officers living on base that may have some of the most beautiful views in Tampa Bay. Then, we learned more about all the activities that take place on base, including many civilian companies that come to MacDill each day.
We had the honor to tour one of the main functions of this air force base, the refueling wing. We were able to tour a KC-135 and see firsthand how they refuel jets midflight from a small window in the boom. We were able to talk with the team that does this. This was another week in Leadership Tampa, where I was taken aback by the high level of job satisfaction these folks had. They absolutely loved their jobs, and it was wonderful to see.
From there, we visited the Marine Patrol Unit. We learned that MacDill AFB is the only base in the country to have a fulltime unit like this, which makes sense given the billion-dollar land that it sits on. We got to see all of the resources (ATVs, boats, etc.) that it takes to keep the base protected from the massive waterfront.
After a full morning, we had a special lunch. We were split up into tables of 3-4, where we got to have lunch with a service member stationed at MacDill and learn about what their life and careers are like in the Military. In addition to the meaningful conversations we all shared, of course, the setting was again beautiful at the Seascapes dining hall complete with water views.
In the afternoon, we learned a little bit about where all the secrets happen at USSOCOM HQ with presentations from SOCOM & CENTCOM. In the room where we listened to presentations, is where more than 40 countries come together to make critical international security decisions.
After USSOCOM, we were shuttled off to another place where some cool stuff happens – MacDill’s Emergency Operations Center. This was another interactive portion of the day, where we got to see what happens when the Explosive Ordinance Disposal team gets called in. The EOD team shared some stories of times they responded to calls in the area that truly made us all glad to have them here. A common theme that came up again with the EOD team was how much they loved their jobs, as well. Beyond the EOD, this building also housed the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense Demonstration. Some of us were more willing than others to test out unidentified chemicals for the demonstration!
Finally, we ended the day learning about the incredible support services the base hosts for military, spouses, and children living on base. We were so fortunate to have 13 different organizations from base all decide to spend time with us on a Wednesday afternoon. The service members that choose this lifestyle are certainly some of our nation’s bravest, but in many ways, they can encounter additional challenges for themselves and their families with, at times, unsafe roles, and challenging moves. It was wonderful to see such varied, consistent support for our military personnel to give them the resources they need to love their jobs and their lives while serving in the United States Air Force.
