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  • Have you become ‘one of them?’

    Long ago, in July 1984, I stepped off the "rotator" at Kadena AB, Japan as a young, newly enlisted jet engine mechanic not knowing what the next 15 months had in store for me. As I took stock of my new work environment, I noticed something very interesting; there was an abundance of Airmen, several sergeants and staff sergeants, a few technical

  • Fitness in today’s Air Force gets Airmen in shape

    With the requirement to defend this nation and its interest by performing military operations, whenever, wherever and for any length of time, does the Air Force fitness program ensure members are physically ready? Fitness, or physical readiness, has seen many changes in the past 18 years. When I first entered the Air Force in 1988, the 1.5 mile run

  • Disabled veteran pays respect to members, hopes others follow

    Recently, I saw a show on TV entitled, "Letters from Home: Voices" by Bill Couterie. It was a moving documentary about the families of military members who gave their lives in the war in Iraq. The pain that filled the emptiness left from these deaths was almost unbearable to witness. I felt such empathy for these families. But I was also filled

  • Take on leadership, hone your skills, don’t just follow

    Have you ever noticed there seems to be a very small group of people within your unit getting most of the attention and awards? If you have, you also probably noticed these people are the ones stepping up to tackle the major projects or issues. They are also the ones, time and time again, who are out in the community, busy in professional

  • Setting a unit path through leadership, proud vision

    How do leaders do the path finding that leads to vision, value, and stability? The answer is relatively simple: By finding a way to give the organization a sense of pride. Path finding starts with leadership, but it is not just the job of a small group at the top. Habits are comfortable, and so is, probably, your office. It's cozy there, behind

  • Use your voice, vote, to be heard on Capitol Hill

    When I enlisted in 1977, there were more than 600,000 Airmen in the Air Force. In the very near future, because of budget cuts, force shaping, outsourcing and privatization, the number will most likely be half its current size. As our Air Force continues to get smaller, who is speaking for us on Capitol Hill? A better question might be, "What are

  • Know your rights; when in doubt call ADC

    If your first sergeant calls you into his office and says you are being charged with a crime, you are being accused of a crime by the Office of Special Investigation or Security Forces, or you may have done something illegal and you want advice about what to do next, call the Area Defense Counsel. As the new ADC on the defense team here, I am a

  • Pivotal time in Air Force calls for new perspective

    As Airmen we will soon, and some have already, feel the effects of having to do less with less. Why is this? Take into consideration our aging fleet of aircraft, which need to be replaced and debt from the current war, which is soon expected to exceed an estimated $320 billion. These issues, among others, are driving our Air Force to make serious

  • Airman reflects on personal loss in 'massacre'

    More than 3,000 people were massacred in the Sept. 11 attacks. I say "massacre" because although tragic, this was no "tragedy" or "accident" or "act of God." It was an insane, blood-thirsty massacre of non-combatants - defenseless men, women and children were intended targets. We all remember where we were when we heard the terrible news. I was at

  • Airman finds ways to cope with marriage separation

    "Soldiers' divorce rates up sharply," a USA Weekly headline reads. Due to the war on terror and longer deployments, more military couples are calling it quits, reports say. It's hard being away from the one you love and even harder when there is nothing you can do about it. I'm a newlywed and even though my husband and I have a great relationship,
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