19 Jun 2008

How, when to begin filling a civilian vacancy

One way to cut down on the time needed to fill a civilian vacancy is to begin earlier, Air Force Personnel Center officials said recently. "Supervisors can submit a request for personnel action at any time to their local Civilian Personnel Office," said Cathy Smoak, Human Resource Specialist, Air Force Programs Oversight office at AFPC. "You don't

16 Jun 2008

Discipline: Have we lost it?

Discipline. What does this mean to you? According to Webster's dictionary, discipline means "training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior" or "a systematic method to maintain obedience." All military members receive training throughout their careers regarding standards and their enforcement, so why do we see infractions

16 Jun 2008

Military members: key to fraud prevention

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations at Ellsworth needs help in identifying and reporting fraudulent activities. Besides general crimes, counterintelligence and research and technology protection missions, a significant amount of AFOSI's resources are assigned to fraud investigations. In the past few years, AFOSI has recovered more than a

13 Jun 2008

Parenting , leadership -- not mutually exclusive

He's been a helicopter pilot. He's run a marathon. He graduated in the top 10 percent of his college class. He's a passionate flyfisherman. And for the past 24 years, he's been my dad. I can't imagine a more difficult or rewarding job. I am not a parent, and I've only been an Air Force officer a short time, but I've been a daughter and have seen

13 Jun 2008

Fatherhood provides skills at home, work

As we approach Father's Day June 15, I reflect on several events in my life that have shaped my behavior as a father and a leader. One of the strangest feelings I ever had was walking out of the hospital with my first child. Her birth went fine, and she was perfectly healthy, however, the experience of carrying my new child out of the hospital made

11 Jun 2008

Commander's message to 12 AF (AFSOUTH) Airmen: Maintain 'Air Dominance'

By now, I'm sure you've had time to discuss the resignations of General Moseley and Secretary Wynne with coworkers, family and friends. While the decision to resign was multi-faceted and personal, clearly, this event has caused many in the Air Force to pause and reevaluate their present course. The CSAF and SAF resignations have brought about an

4 Jun 2008

Striking a balance

In addition to its primary purpose of honoring those who have given their lives in the defense of our nation, Memorial Day weekend also marked the beginning of summer. It was a time for cookouts, vacations, trips to the beach, fishing and also time for our families. However, for many in the 28th Bomb Wing, times like this will be cut short as we

28 May 2008

What is an unprofessional relationship?

Everyone is going out on Friday night, should I go out with the rest of my unit? What could be wrong with that? Before answering, you might need to consider what Air Force Instruction 36-2909, Professional and Unprofessional Relationships, defines as a professional and unprofessional  relationship. A professional relationship, according to the AFI,

16 May 2008

Elements of leading today's Air Force

The Air Force structure that we operate within today is in a constant state of transformation. In the 1990s, we operated under a total quality management concept; now, we operate by keeping the Air Force Transformation Flight Plan in mind, which serves as a guide for Air Force operations as an individual service and as part of the joint services

13 May 2008

Pitching pills properly

When you look into your medicine cabinet, do you have old prescription medications lingering? Maybe leftover pain medication from surgery or antibiotics you didn't finish? What about small amounts of elixirs that are no good? If so, what should be done with them? The answer is to remove them as soon as possible. However, there are general