Eight refueling jets from Arkansas, 250 people heading to new home at MacDill

The number of KC-135 refueling jets at MacDill Air Force Base will grow from 16 to 24 with the return of a squadron that once called Tampa home. The 50th Airlift Squadron, with eight jets and some 250 personnel, is headed to MacDill from Little Rock Air Force Base, according to a news release from the 6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill's host unit.

Complete story on the Tampa Bay Times website at http://www.tampabay.com/news/military/macdill/eight-refueling-jets-from-arkansas-250-people-heading-to-new-home-at/2338752?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

927th Air Refueling Wing breaks ground at MacDill

MacDill Air Force Base has a new tenant. As part of the military's base restructuring, the 927th Air Refueling Wing has been moved from Michigan to Tampa.

They broke ground for the new headquarters for 927th at MacDill on Wednesday.

Col. Ken Lewis, the Wing Commander for the 927th, says over the next two years construction alone will bring in close to 50-million dollars to the Bay area.

As for jobs, Col. Lewis says the Air Refueling Wing will provide 800 full and part time military and civilian jobs which translates into an annual budget of 7 to 10 million dollars.

The new headquarters is expected to be finished by September of 2009

Profile: MacDill AFB, Florida, Trunk Radio System

My old friend and former MT columnist Robert Wyman has made a couple of trips to MacDill AFB, Florida, area and did some VHF/UHF monitoring. During those sessions Robert intercepted the base trunk system and he has passed along the following profile of the TRS at that base. Thanks Robert.

MacDill AFB, Florida
System: Motorola Type II Smartzone (APCO-25 Exclusive)
Motorola System ID: b112
Base Frequency: 406.5625; Spacing: 12.5-kHz; Offset: 380
Frequencies: 406.5625c 406.7625c 406.9625 407.3625 407.5625 407.7625c 407.9625c 408.1625 408.3625 408.5625

Talkgroups:
16 Unknown user/usage
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4800 MacDill Control
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4848 Security
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19600 Alpha
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24900 Tiger
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