30 Mar 2007

Relationships that help, hurt mission

A group of Airmen goes out Friday night and one wonders if they should go out with the rest of their unit? Some may think, "Sure what could be wrong with that?" Consider what Air Force Instruction 36-2909, Professional and Unprofessional Relationships, defines as professional and unprofessional relationships. A professional relationship "encourages

20 Mar 2007

Service Anyone?

Let me begin by asking what motivated you to join the United States Air Force? More importantly, what keeps you here? Approaching the end of my command tour at Ellsworth and preparing for my next command opportunity this summer has caused me to reflect and "soul search" about what drew me to the Air Force and what fuels my service. Sure, patriotism

15 Mar 2007

"Irrational" decisions

Have you ever thought to yourself that someone else's decision was "irrational?" Perhaps the negative ramifications seemed greater than the potential benefit; thus (in your mind) the decision didn't add up. Many of us in western society, and particularly those of us in the United States' military, tend to evaluate decisions based on this type of

27 Feb 2007

Personnel Records Readiness: Are you ready?

Because change is the one thing you can count on, take time now to review your personnel records to ensure they are ready for whatever is around the next corner. The Air Force Personnel Center is establishing an annual campaign to encourage Airmen to review their records at the beginning of each year to make sure they remain complete, current and

27 Feb 2007

My Friend

You have been with me my whole life, giving me the guidance and courage to do the things I want and helping me fulfill my goals wherever I go. I remember the first time I met you. I think it was Kindergarten. You always seemed to be confident and proud no matter what might have been said about you. I remember greeting you every morning and

26 Feb 2007

Mission: Mentoring

In a word, mentors are helpers. They are people who care about us and what we are trying to accomplish. It seems almost intuitive to me that an Air Force which embodies core values of integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do also encourages mentoring amongst its members. Professional Military Education schools are very

5 Feb 2007

Approach is Everything

Are you one of those people who feels you need to light up an Airman whenever he does something wrong? If you really think about it, what are you proving when you do that? Are you trying to prove you're the boss? I believe the stripes on your arm or the insignia on your collar are indicators that you are in charge. An individual once told me he lit

29 Jan 2007

Saving and investing for your future

As I polled the young Airmen in my squadron for topics they thought would be useful and applicable in the early stages of their careers, several asked me to address the issue of saving and investing for the future. The multitude of investment options and those people willing to advise you, especially for a fee, can seem daunting. However, like most

24 Jan 2007

Potential pitfalls of leadership

"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." This phrase, attributed to Lord John Acton, carries an important caution for leaders -- if they are not careful, the power that leaders wield may cause them to lose focus on the positive impacts they can make and, instead, do things they might not otherwise have done. How often have

17 Jan 2007

Are you ready for change?

Change has been the topic of conversation in the Department of Defense for a few years now, especially since former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld mandated the transformation of the military when the Bush Administration took office. In the Air Force, that conversation has gotten increasingly louder as our leaders have redirected resources to