Commentary Search

  • A Wake Up Call

    Editor's note: Names and details were slightly changed in this article to protect privacy. However, the story and the author's reflections are true.My BlackBerry went off like a siren in the mist.  Coming to my senses from a deep sleep, sometime after midnight, I picked it up and saw my first

  • LANDLORD-TENANT LAW

    The first and most important piece of advice I can give you is, READ YOUR LEASE. If something does not make sense, or seems fishy, schedule an appointment with the legal office and come talk to an attorney before you sign anything.When you sign the lease, with certain exceptions, your options for

  • Finding light through darkness

    Keeping a secret that defines you, that has shaped your life for nearly three years now and is sure to shape the rest, a secret that you go to sleep with every night and wake to every morning is sometimes hard to keep trapped inside.I could probably go my entire life without revealing the sad truth

  • Preventing sexual assault in the Air Force is our enduring responsibility

    As we begin Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, clear signs point to the progress we have made in combating sexual assault. We can cite encouraging numbers in the areas of prevalence, reporting and convictions; however, this serves as only the beginning of an enduring effort. This effort

  • Reflection on the past

    After serving in the United States Air Force for over 25 years, I feel fortunate to have been a part of some very exciting times.I joined the Air Force towards the end of the Cold War, and was first stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. During my first couple of years there, we still had

  • Living Diversity

    Kindergarten was the first time I began fielding questions about my racial background.  I had just been sent to live with my black father and his new girlfriend, in their black neighborhood. My olive skin tone and hair with a mind of its own caused me to stand out.After a few weeks at my new school,

  • Practice personal safety, security

    With more information than ever available in the public realm, everyone has the responsibility to safeguard sensitive information, both on the job and at home. Information that may seem harmless by itself can be pieced together with other information to form a more complete and sometimes harmful

  • Procrastination preludes the problem

    Things arise in our everyday life that can, and probably will, affect our futures. Those tasks, challenges or issues are things we need to overcome to forge the best life we can. Whether it's deciding our next career move or changing the oil in our car, waiting to take care of a simple task could

  • FIP: Own It

    It has been about a year now since the Force Improvement Program became a part of our everyday lexicon in the ICBM community. In that relatively short period of time we have already seen numerous material improvements directly attributable to that program: OCP uniforms for our defenders, new crew

  • Providing shade

    In 2012, I had a long talk with my father about my future in the Air Force and of my challenges with stepping into the world of being a first sergeant.At the end of our conversation, he signed off with a Greek proverb, "A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they will