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Commentary Search

  • Be Bold – it’s an Air Force Tradition!

    In recent years, I've been accused of being "too honest" when it comes to feedback. This tendency is likely a result of having more on my plate than in the past, less time to play around with, or maybe it's just that I'm less patient than I used to be or quite probably a combination of all three. As

  • Resiliency combats challenges

    The challenges faced by Airmen are many. Beyond the immediate physical threats generated by deployments, our Airmen must deal with the mental and social effects of being in a high-intensity, stressful and dangerous environment, sometimes for months at a time. These same deployments often force

  • The military – “It ain’t for wimps”

    At some point early in my career, my lovely wife Maddy went to some sort of event designed to teach spouses of military members about different programs available to help military families. While at the event she heard one of the presenters say, "The military -- It ain't for wimps." Since then, that

  • Integrity First in the 21st Century

    "Integrity is the fundamental premise for military service in a free society. Without integrity, the moral pillars of our military strength, public trust and self-respect are lost." - Gen. Charles A. GabrielIntegrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do are the core values that

  • Fit to fight, proud to parent

    Monday through Friday, I get out of bed, put on my United States Air Force uniform with pride, and walk down the hall to wake up and prepare my two-year-old for the day. Being a single parent in the military is not the most paid, the most prestigious, or the most sought after lifestyle; but for me,

  • A Dignified Deployment

    "These quilts are for anyone who's been touched by war, and outside of a direct combat unit in Afghanistan--you have been touched by war more than anyone in the United States military." Those were words I had heard a few times during my deployment to Dover Air Force Base, Del. Only this time, they

  • Solutions are out of reach when we believe they don’t exist

    We've heard it so many times that we're starting to believe it: "We'll never stop DUIs." But, I reject the notion this problem is inevitable and there is nothing we can do about it. There is always a solution, and in order to get to the solution, we must understand the problem. To understand the

  • Core Values Made Simple

    Simplicity. Whether born of convenience, efficiency or laziness, there is no denying that increased simplicity breeds greater utility. This is the philosophy I applied to utilizing the Air Force core values as guiding principles in everyday life. The core values themselves are not really complex,

  • Lessons from Concessions: Leading through Service

    Quite often, Airmen are asked to volunteer for numerous on and off-base organizations. In many cases, assistance is required to work at concessions to help raise money for worthy causes or to work in other community activities. The work is sometimes hard, the hours sometimes long, but there is a

  • Assertive communication leads to stronger relationships

    Editor's note: This is part-two in a twelve-part series highlighting the twelve master resiliency skills as part of Comprehensive Airman Fitness.As part of the Air Force-wide initiative of Comprehensive Airman Fitness, there are 12 master resiliency skills that servicemembers can use on a daily