Commentary Search

  • Capt. James T. Kirk, the Kobiashi Maru, and AFSO21

    One of the legends surrounding Capt. James T. Kirk had it that he was the only starship captain ever to pass the training scenario known as the Kobiashi Maru. Starfleet command designed the Kobiashi Maru as a no-win scenario in order to observe how potential starship captains reacted to failure.

  • Fortitude, Audacity and Valor

    This is the 100th time I've written a commentary for the base paper. We've been together 24 months now, and it's time for me to go. But before I do, I wanted to share some thoughts, some of which I've been saving for 24 months. It's been the honor of my life to be your commander. One of the things

  • The Truth is Better than Fiction

    Man I thought I had a real good story to share with you about Lee Marvin and Captain Kangaroo. For our younger teammates Lee Marvin was an actor most famous for his tough guy rolls and if you ever want to see a good war movie, checkout Lee Marvin in "The Dirty Dozen." Captain Kangaroo was the

  • Swimming, Breathing and What We Take for Granted

    Last weekend while playing with my kids at the pool, they asked if I could swim from one side to the other entirely under water. Like any dad, I really wanted to be a hero in my kids' eyes, so I took a big breath and started off across the pool. At about the halfway point I started feeling

  • Seatbelts, Shmeatbelts

    In his senior year at the University of Nebraska, 21-year-old Derek wrote an impassioned declaration of independence on seatbelts for his college newspaper. Although "intrusive and ridiculous" seatbelt laws save 6,100 lives a year, according to statistics from the U.S. Congress, Derek concluded with

  • Ankara stork nesting

    Question:  Mehmet, I read your article about visiting Ankara a few weeks ago. I had already heard many good things about Ankara. I understand that Ankara is a good place to visit, but my question is totally different. My wife is pregnant and she is due in a few months. Some friends recommend Ankara

  • Stinging Gelatinous Creatures

    The good biologist was hot on the heels of the source of a mysterious illness called Irukandji Syndrome. Sufferers endure excruciating back pain, sweating, and nausea. He suspected that the source of the illness was a tiny marine creature, so he set about finding it by sitting on the seabed for

  • Flexibility, Stupidity and Airpower

    "Flexibility is the key to airpower..." If you've spent any time in the Air Force you've undoubtedly heard that line before. As Airmen, we pride ourselves on being flexible, adapting to changes in the situation, and making due with what we have to get the mission done. Examples like flying B-25s

  • Captain Magneto

    A magneto uses magnets to produce a powerful high-voltage electric current to fire the starters of aircraft. One night a group of officers had a private competition to see who could hold onto the four leads of a magneto the longest. One by one they all dropped out, except for "Captain Magneto." The

  • Driving in Turkey

    Question: Mehmet, I am new here and I've noticed that driving off base is quite challenging. What do you recommend for driving in Turkey? Response: You might remember that I say "Driving in Turkey is not dangerous but adventurous" in my briefings. Below is an article from www.mymerhaba.com about