• There are people out there who genuinely care about us

    Sometimes life becomes so routine with everyday customs, we forget why we do our job and what we stand for. One routine for me was an optometry appointment for my 4-year-old daughter, Caroline, several weeks ago. She has a lazy eye that requires a thick lens and many appointments to go with it.

  • Choosing to stay in Air Force after 20 years

    About six years ago a fellow noncommissioned officer for whom I have a great deal of respect said, "I'm going to retire at 20 years because every day I work after 20 years I'm working for half pay." My friend was referring to the retirement plan that pays half our basic pay at retirement in some

  • Where have all the leaders gone?

    One of the most useful tools to measure a unit's climate is a survey of those members who have decided to leave the Air Force. Over the last few years, I've noticed a lot of those surveys have mentioned a lack of or poor leadership as a major reason not to reenlist. I've spent a lot of time thinking

  • Change sometimes requires a kick to get going

    In 1962, Thomas S. Kuhn, a scientist, wrote a book describing the structure of scientific revolutions. He specifically noted that revolutions occur when "existing institutions have ceased to adequately meet the problems posed by the environment." Interestingly, he stated that the same shift applies

  • Airmen find 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

  • Keesler AFB, 97th AEG team up to support Katrina humanitarian relief

    It was late August and a lot of us wearing the uniform were marching along with our Air Force careers serving our nation. Weather reports showed a hurricane that appeared stronger than most. Initial reports of Katrina's aftermath indicated the levees in New Orleans held - and the city was OK.

  • Being a commander during a hurricane

    Command. There's no better job in the world. After seven years in jobs with command authority and two squadron commands, I figured I had a good idea what command was all about. I was wrong. What changed my mind? Four words--"Shelter Commander" and "Hurricane Katrina." From Aug. 28 - Sept. 2, I lived

  • Why do we serve in the military?

    Many have asked me the question over the years, "Why do you serve in the military?" With an open question like that I typically didn't have time to give them a proper answer. I would like to take the time now to elaborate on a few thoughts I have collected about the subject of service and what it

  • Parenting skills can make good leaders

    While recently attending a course for supervisors called "Managing Difficult Conversations," I was reminded of a must-read book for parents entitled "How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk," by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish. My wife, a former squadron executive officer, once

  • NSPS offers change for the better

    Change is not often welcome in large organizations where people are comfortable with predictable work patterns and compensation. It was natural, therefore, that the introduction of the most comprehensive change ever in the Department of Defense human resource management system was not received with

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