3 Apr 2008

Expeditionary potato

His hands tremble. His mouth has become completely dry. Sweat beads form and quickly pass over his brow and into his eyes; the sting quickly reminds him of his daunting, painful task. Alarm red doesn't sound. The distinct warbling noise of incoming mortars is absent from his environment. In fact, the only noise present is the sound of the tape

3 Apr 2008

Economic Stimulus Payments

Beginning in May, the Internal Revenue Service will begin sending economic stimulus payments, intended to boost the U. S. economy, to more than 130 million individuals. The stimulus payments will go out through the late spring and summer based on Social Security Number order. The IRS will use 2007 tax returns to determine eligibility and calculate

3 Apr 2008

Mission first: Securing our networks

The Air Force Network Operations Center here has the mission of protecting and defending the Air Force's portion of the Defense Department's network, which is often referred to as the Global Information Grid. We operate under the operational direction of the Joint Task Force for Global Network Operations and partner with our sister services to

20 Mar 2008

Esprit de corps <bk> Managing the ups and downs

The morale on Ellsworth has been the subject of many conversations, and phrases such as, "there is bad morale here," can be heard among Airmen around base. I don't understand. My morale has been high since I joined the Air Force in 1988. I have had bad days and bad months just like everyone else, but with proper coping mechanisms I have been able

5 Mar 2008

Servicemember political activity restrictions

As the 2008 elections draw near, remember that military members and federal civilian employees must adhere to special rules regarding their political activities. For both, the rule of thumb is to avoid any activity that may be viewed as associating the federal government, directly or indirectly, with a partisan political activity. This means that

29 Feb 2008

We’re almost there

It's almost time. As I write this, we have exactly 31 days before the ACC Inspector General Team visits Ellsworth. We're almost to the point where we can put that final lethal arrow into a quiver of readiness that we can showcase to the IG. We've been steadfast in our efforts to hone the edge to ensure we come away from the next IG visit with

28 Feb 2008

Credit where credit is due - control office envy

President Reagan once said, "There's no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn't mind who gets the credit." It seems most of us sense that this is true. However, we may not see this practiced enough by ourselves or others. Is this idea a matter of personnel belief that some may practice, or should it be a policy that is actively

26 Feb 2008

Disciplined Approach to Excellence

The 28th Bomb Wing is comprised of volunteers who believe it is their duty to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. I appreciate everything you are doing everyday for our Air Force. You are a group of great Americans, and I am proud to join you in this worthy work. That said, I'm sure folks are starting to feel the pressure of

12 Feb 2008

Violating standards projects unprofessional image

I would like to take this opportunity to point out a few common standards violations that first sergeants notice the most. All of my references for the following items are from Air Force Instruction 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel : Uniform Pockets While the Air Force issues uniforms with pockets, they are intended to

12 Feb 2008

"The Little Brown Handbook" guides Airmen's careers

Did you know the basic foundation and responsibilities for the enlisted force are written in Air Force Instruction 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure, commonly referred to as "The Little Brown Book?" Every Airman should read this instruction to comply with Air Force policy. It spells out the professional standards and roles and responsibilities