Commentary Search

  • November eyes on report

    Before receiving this assignment I was a little frustrated, I was not looking forward to this at all. I thought it would be another briefing that I didn't want to sit through, another inspection that I would have to worry about failing. However, I was pleasantly surprised, as fate would have it, it

  • Emergency situations

    Question: Mehmet, last weekend when I  was coming back from Castle by the Sea my car stopped running due to an engine failure. I didn't know what to do, but it was obvious that I needed a tow truck. Two Turkish gentlemen came by. With the little English they knew I explained the situation to them. 

  • EMTs, ATVs, and the Alley

    The Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) were the first to arrive at the scene to find a severely injured man lying at the edge of a field. His stomach was torn open, he was covered with lacerations and bruises, and he had a prominent tire tread across his chest. His buddy raced up on his All

  • Ugly Americans in Turkey

    We often hear the term "Ugly American" used around military communities throughout overseas locations. We quickly become offended when we hear others speak of us this way. We are also quick to point out that we shouldn't be grouped together, labeled or stereotyped a certain way because of the poor

  • ARI’s; tracked, recorded by USAFE CC

    ARI is an acronym used quite frequently at Incirlik and is about to become more frequently used around USAFE. ARIs are Alcohol Related Incidents resulting from individuals cited, charged with or arrested for any incident where alcohol use was a contributing factor under the rules of the USAF. ARIs

  • Are you a terrorist?

    The sirens were whaling as the ambulance pulled up to the emergency room at the hospital. The 38-year-old was obviously the victim of an explosion. His body was ravaged with shrapnel wounds and gunpowder burns on his face and abdomen. His thigh and groin had also sustained serious injuries. A

  • Growing up in today's Air Force

    Unlike most of you, the Air Force I grew up in was not at war. To the contrary, pilots with combat experienced were limited to "old heads" who flew in Vietnam. As such, youngsters like me relished every opportunity to listen to these older pilots share their war stories. A bunch of us gathered one

  • Sugar Festival and ATMs

    Question: Mehmet, can you tell us about the Sugar Festival? Response: The Sugar Festival is celebrated by the Moslems at the end of Ramazan, the fasting month for Moslems. It lasts three and a half days. Sunday, is the last day of Ramazan and the Sugar Festival starts on that day at

  • The Misadventures Airman Snuffy McDufflebag and Master Sgt. Johnny Mentor

    I had high hopes the Dallas Cowboys were on the six-yard line with less than a minute to play and for the most part all signs looked good, my Cowboys were going to tie the football game and have a chance to win it in overtime. Then Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe took the snap dropped back to pass

  • The Misadventure of Airman Snuffy McDufflebag and Master Sgt. Johnny Mentor

    What a weekend coming up, the first round of the Major League Baseball playoffs sparks interests around the globe, the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles renew there heated rivalry and Vivica A. Fox, Emmitt Smith and Jerry Springer sizzle on the stage during "Dancing with the Stars," by the way,