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  • Standard-free zone?

    Since becoming an airman leadership school instructor, I have learned to truly savor part of my day that as a member of security forces I never knew - the lunch break. That's right, my lunch break; a wonderful hour of my day where I can honestly take a breather and relax. There are a lot of

  • Why Teamwork is a Perpetual Moneymaker--Pass it on!

    It was a teaching moment I'll never forget - a former commander of mine shared what he considered the most important factor in measuring the success of his squadron commanders: Does the officer play well with others? I assumed "playing well with others," or "teamwork," wouldn't even make a

  • Outdoor activities Summer fishing

    Editor's note: this article is part one of a series.The Black Hills and surrounding areas offer great areas to fish. Whether you fly or bait fish, there are areas to be enjoyed by all. To take advantage of such an outing you will need to first purchase a South Dakota Fishing License. An annual

  • How do you do it?

    The 28th Munitions Squadron is well on its way to attaining our goal of 365 days without a driving under the influence infraction. So far we've gone approximately 260 days without a DUI and I am very proud of that. I am even more proud of my squadron members for their efforts. The question I am

  • 101 critical days of summer

    The Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the Command's 101 Critical Days of Summer Campaign. Historically, these "days of summer," May 26 - September 3, have seen an increase in the number of fatalities associated with sports, recreation and motor vehicle travel. While I am extremely proud of

  • Final week for AFAF

    This is the final week for this year's Air Force Assistance Fund (AFAF) campaign drive, which will officially end April 18th. This campaign raises much-needed funds for four official Air Force charities. These charities are chartered to assist our fellow Airmen, which includes Active Duty, Guard,

  • We improvise, adapt, overcome

    This month marks an important anniversary not only for the U.S. Air Force, but also for Ellsworth Air Force Base. Sixty-five years ago on April 18, 1942, Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle avenged the Japanese attack on the U.S. by leading 16 B-25s on his famous raid against Japan. Two of the four squadrons

  • 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

  • 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

  • "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,