Commentary Search

  • 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

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

  • 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,

  • 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

  • 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

  • “In-lieu-of” taskings, the Air Force and Ellsworth missions

    Every couple of weeks I have the pleasure of briefing Ellsworth Air Force Base's newest first-term Airmen. Every time I brief these young Airmen, I make the point that the majority of our day-to-day focus here in the 28th Bomb Wing is to put "Bombs on Target from B-1 Bombers." However, since Sept.

  • A Thought for Veterans Day

    Once a year, on Nov. 11, we turn our thoughts to Veterans. In my opinion, the proportion is way out of balance. If you think about it, we should honor our veterans' everyday of the year. In my opinion, few military people advocate going to war. They know the horrors of it. Many have seen the

  • National Disability Employment Awareness Month

    The United States can be described as a melting pot made up of differing cultures, ethnicities and other groups of people. One group that is often overlooked is people with disabilities. In this country, the most recent census reported there were more than 50 million disabled individuals. For