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  • A statue honors the memory of Noel Baba, or Santa Claus, in front of the Saint Nicholas church in Demre, Turkey. Santa Claus was the bishop of Myra, now Demre, during the fourth century. (Courtesy photo)

    Ask Mehmet: Do Turks celebrate Christmas and New Years

    You might have already noticed that shops throughout Turkey have decorated their windows with pine trees, snow balls, red stockings, and statues and pictures of St. Nicholas. Turks, who are Muslim, may seem like they're observing Christmas like the Christians. But, they aren't celebrating Christmas, they're marking the New Year.Many parties are
  • Col. Craig D. Wills is the commander of the 39th Air Base Wing at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. As commander, Colonel Wills is responsible for approximately 5,000 U.S. military, civilian and contractor personnel and the combat readiness of U.S. Air Force units at Incirlik and two geographically-separated units in Turkey.

    How Airmen can affect climate change

    In spite of a bout of jetlag and some post-traumatic stress issues due to winter driving in the D.C. area, I want to take a moment to share some things I learned and pondered as a result of attending a summit last week for Air Force wing commanders. The main purpose of the three-day meeting in the nation's capitol was to get Air Force leadership on
  • Gen. Frank Gorenc is Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe; Commander, U.S. Air Forces Africa, Commander Allied Air Command, headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany; and Director, Joint Air Power Competence Centre, Kalkar, Germany.

    Force management and you

    The Chief of Staff's announcement concerning force management programs should have caught your attention because it could affect your status in next year's Air Force.The Air Force will become smaller, and that means some of you reading this will have important decisions to make very soon. That is why both voluntary and involuntary programs have
  • The Whirling Dervishes

    Ask Mehmet: Whirling Dervishes

    "Come, come, whoever; whatever you are. Come again infidel, idolator or fire-worshiper. Come again. Our monastery is not a place of despair. Even if you have violated your oaths a hundred times, come again." Millions of people from every corner of the earth have accepted that invitation throughout the centuries.The message of love, brotherhood and
  • (U.S. Air Force graphic/ Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Wilson)

    Imagine hope

    My name is not José.Steve asked me not to use our real names if I write down what I recently learned about the events of 2002. He's not 'Steve,' either. Steve agreed to share his part, and I will tell you mine - our two sides of one story.What follows is our recollections of then and now.José: Steve and I used to play one of those multiplayer
  • With winter and the holiday season just around the corner, it’s a good time to be reminded that not everyone finds this time of year as joyful as others. In fact, we find that people typically experience the largest increase in stress and depressive symptoms between the months of November and January. Responsible wingmen should use all the resources at their disposal to maintain optimal physical and psychological mission readiness. If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or suicidal thoughts, give one of your helping agencies a call. You can reach the mental health clinic at 676-6452 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., and by calling the command post at 676-9920 or 112 after hours. The chapel can be reached at 676-6441 or 676-9920 after hours. (U.S. Air Force graphic)

    Holiday colors: red, white, green and ... blue?

    With winter and the holiday season just around the corner, it's a good time to be reminded that not everyone finds this time of year as joyful as others. In fact, we find that people typically experience the largest increase in stress and depressive symptoms between the months of November and January.Although military personnel and their families
  • Turkish wedding dollars, similar in appearance to U.S. $1 bills, are tossed at weddings over people who are dancing. The tossing of the dollars is part of a tradition where guests would toss the money over dancing people as a form of payment to the musician. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Eric Summers Jr./Released)

    Ask Mehmet: What is a wedding dollar?

    "Mehmet, I have seen pieces of paper that very closely resemble the U.S. $1 bill on base. Some of them have been passed off as real money at some vendors on base recently. I've heard they are called 'wedding dollars.' What are they and how are used?"Those pieces of paper you have seen look exactly like the real U.S. $1 bill. They are fake
  • Members of Airman Leadership School Class 14-1 pose for a group photo after completing thier first professtional military education course. ALS is the first PME class Airmen take focusing on the responsibilities of becoming a supervisor. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Eric Summers Jr.)

    My AF story

    "Why did I choose to re-enlist in the U.S. Air force? Because I get chills every time I hear the sound of jets flying over me," said Senior Airman Briana Austin, 39th Medical Operations Squadron dental technician. "I love that sound!"When called upon to brief their personal Air Force narrative speeches at the Incirlik Air Base Airman Leadership
  • Col. Craig D. Wills is the commander of the 39th Air Base Wing at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. As commander, Colonel Wills is responsible for approximately 5,000 U.S. military, civilian and contractor personnel and the combat readiness of U.S. Air Force units at Incirlik and two geographically-separated units in Turkey.

    Call it like it is

    Have you ever done something wrong, intentional or not, that other people might not find out about or at least know who was responsible? Those are defining moments in our lives. Those are moments that can either build character as we make the tough decision to fess up, or they can reveal weakness and lack of integrity that's incompatible with our

  • Be your own wingman

    It is truly a demanding time to serve overseas. This command continues to execute at a high ops tempo with new and enduring missions in Europe and Africa, providing forward-based combat airpower in an environment tempered by fiscal uncertainty and restricted budgets. While the impact of the recent government shutdown is still fresh in our minds, I
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