Commentary Search

  • Exploring different paths enhances your ‘life story’

    No one who knew my grandfather would have described him as a "nice guy." He was a bootlegger during prohibition, took mobsters from Chicago on hunting trips, spent far more time sitting on a bar stool than on a church pew, and was a regular tavern brawler. Of course, by the time I came along, he had

  • All encouraged to take part in election process

    There I was in the late fall of 1984, a freshman in college experiencing my first year away at school. I was finally old enough to vote in my first presidential election. I had received my absentee ballot, carefully considered the candidates, and diligently marked my choices in accordance with the

  • Planning is cornerstone to 39 CONS aquisitions

    Have you ever thought about all the items required to do your job? What is required to accomplish your mission and how does having these essential items make your job easier? Do you think you could do your job without these items or a facility to work in? The answer is probably "No." It would be

  • Financial services continue to change, improve

    According to various Air Force leaders, the success of the Air Force and the joint team depends upon the ability of its people and organizations to anticipate, learn and adapt. The chief of staff of the Air Force, Gen. Michael T. Mosely said, "it is our responsibility to bequeath a dominant Air

  • Leaders change, standards and challenges do not

    This was a difficult week for our Air Force. On Thursday, 5 June, our Secretary and Chief of Staff tendered their resignations to the Secretary of Defense. Secretary Mike Wynne and General Buzz Moseley are men of honor and integrity. Their resignations resulted from failures in a critical mission

  • E-mail traffic: the good, bad, ugly

    I wanted to take this opportunity to provide some tips I have found helpful over the years regarding e-mail and to discuss a few key rules regarding its use. One of the first "good" things to remember is that e-mail is not like real-time conversation. Take advantage of the opportunity to gather your

  • Air Force service may lead to incurable travel bug

    One of the many benefits of serving your country is seeing the world. Largely because of the Air Force, I've visited all 50 of the United States and 61 foreign countries so far. During my tour at Incirlik, I've visited Cappadocia, Istanbul, and Izmir within Turkey, as well as ten other countries. My

  • Law Day reflects rule of law importance

    In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the first Law Day. No worries though ... Law Day is not a day to celebrate lawyers, not even a judge advocate general could get excited about that. It is a day of national dedication to the principles of government under law. This year's theme is

  • Preparing for the future or falling behind?

    We are constantly bombarded with headlines exclaiming Congress is slashing the Department of Defense budget or reducing our end strength to right-size the force. During staff meetings, we are reminded that this year's budget will be smaller than last year's and additional cuts will be coming next

  • Developing, maintaining a sustained culture of excellence

    We all want to be a part of a great unit but what is it that sets a great unit apart from a good unit? In my experience, morale is better. People get a lot more job satisfaction and enjoy participating in unit activities. Team members are more productive. Those privileged to be part of a great