HomeNewsCommentaries

Commentary Search

  • Back-to-school means extra traffic caution necessary

    Most of you reading this will think of today with a sense of relief that you have made it through yet another week of short-notice tasks, assigned duties and the normal goings-on of everyday, military life. If you are anything like me, I am sure you are looking forward to the weekend; a respite from work and an opportunity to decompress. Spending

  • PCSing and starting at a new school

    Every summer around the world, at every base from every military service, there are changes that are felt due to permanent change of station season. This is the time of year when new families with children move in, get settled, learn new jobs and spouses find new work. The children also have to find new friends and learn new schools. It's a

  • I'm not telling

    August is Health Awareness Month. I'd like to address one of our health issues in the Air Force - sexual assault. It's a very personal violation, a very horrendous and traumatic experience, yet, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, "60 percent of sexual assaults are not reported to police." The same site then indicates that "97

  • We can’t all be Washingtons

    Growing up, I never considered myself a patriot. Patriots were people who I placed on a pedestal so high I would never reach them. When I thought of patriots, the images that came to mind are probably a lot of the same ones you have: our founding fathers, the men and women who fought on the front lines in the great conflicts of their time and who

  • Drive out fear: Of failure, of embarrassment, of not knowing what to do

    We've all felt that sinking, gut-wrenching sensation telling us, "You don't have what it takes," or in the worst case, "I'd be better off somewhere else." Fear is a natural reaction to uncertainty, danger, and unexpected change. Fear in the duty section can shut us down, even today. I recall a day, when I was a captain, when my boss screamed at me,

  • Where is your ‘third place?’

    Sometimes, being at our best means taking down time. Many of us consider ourselves high-performers at work and at home. We get up every day and charge on, without taking the time to truly be at our best.In today's Air Force, we can not afford to keep up that pattern. We are not machines -- we are people -- and people are at their best when they are

  • Change is nothing new

    As I finish my time here as the 320th Missile Squadron Director of Operations, I've been able to reflect on the last two years. It has certainly been an interesting two years. A great deal has happened and has driven historic changes. Change is never easy, but it is nothing new for this base.From the first time I was assigned to F.E. Warren AFB in

  • Effective adaptability — how can you become a better leader?

    We all know people who can quickly adjust to any situation they are put in. They possess a quality we all need--effective adaptability. Author Allan Calarco of Adaptability: Responding Effectively to Change, defines this as the ability to adjust to an unexpected situation by actively seeking information and demonstrating openness and support of

  • Make the most of the hand you’re dealt

    I arrived on F.E. Warren just over a year ago fresh out of the Public Affairs course at the Defense Information School, Fort Meade, Md. I had stars in my eyes, and I was ready to begin my career as a public affairs specialist. But where I was eager and willing to begin my new job, I had the concerns of being stationed somewhere unknown. From the

  • Leading, following AND getting out of the way

    Several years ago, I saw a T-shirt in a store that read "Lead, follow or get out of the way." Right next to it was another shirt described the advantages of being the "lead sled dog" (hint: it has to do with the view). The message was clear, it is better to be a leader than a follower.Taking leadership advice from )T-shirts isn't a good idea. While
RSS