The purpose of the Chamber’s Military Advisory Committee is to support military family readiness and quality of life initiatives that ensure Tampa Bay is postured for defense growth. Through the Chamber’s Vision 2026 Plan, the Military Advisory Committee will advocate for legislative priorities that enhance quality of life for military families, connect the Tampa Bay business community with military affiliated talent to address workforce needs and diversify the Chamber’s membership by engaging military affiliated members.

Participation in the Chamber's Military Advisory Committee is open to any member of the Tampa Bay Chamber and military representation from MacDill Air Force Base.

This will be a joint meeting of the Tampa Bay Chamber and South Tampa Chamber Military Advisory Committees. We will be discussing the Abilene Trophy and facilitating a conversation on what our community did in 2024 to support military families.

View the meeting agenda here.

About the Abilene Trophy

The Air Mobility Command (AMC) Community Support Award was established on January 1, 1999, by the Chamber's Military Affairs Committee of Abilene, Texas, and the United States Air Force AMC. The award is to provide recognition for activities conducted between January and December of the preceding year. Before 1999, the City of Abilene won the award so many times it is no longer eligible to receive this award, thus the “Abilene Trophy” was born. 

AMC Communities submit their nomination packets each year to the Abilene Chamber's MAC, and a selection committee reviews all the packets and votes on the best civilian community for their outstanding support to a nearby AMC base. The award is presented annually at the Airlift Tanker Association Conference by the Abilene MAC and the Commander of the AMC. Abilene MAC representatives then fly to the winning community to formally present the trophy at an event. 

The traveling trophy is a beautiful bronze sculpture of an American Bald Eagle in flight, which a local Abilene artist created. A miniature eagle is given to each winning community once a new winner is chosen and the traveling trophy goes to that community.