Commentary Search

  • Leading in today’s military

    I have had several people, both military and civilians, ask me about how we continue to work in today's military with the current political environment. The answer I keep telling them is 'just do your part and control the things that you have control over.' As our budgets seem to shrink, our mission

  • Remembering the past to understand the future

    My wife once told me a story about her grandmother, Eleanor Teigen. Grandma Teigen was at a doctor's appointment, and the nurse who was checking her in noticed her birthday was Nov. 11. The nurse said, "Your birthday is on Veterans Day!" Grandma Teigen pointed out the year of her birthday was 1909,

  • Fly, Fight, Win

    It was 95 years ago at precisely 11 a.m., Nov. 11, 1918, the "war to end all wars" came to a termination of hostilities after the death and wounding of millions of veterans. One year later, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as Armistice Day with this statement: "To us in America, the

  • Process improvement

    Have you ever been to a restaurant and remarked how the service was slow or otherwise not to your liking? You probably thought there was a smarter, more efficient way to do business; one that would make customers happy and increase the restaurants overall revenue. Well, there is one way and that way

  • What does the Air Force family mean to you?

    When the three words "Air Force family" are spoken, they mean something very different to each person who hears them. To a person who has never served in the Air Force or military, they might think it is just a way of getting people to buy into a concept bigger than themselves. When new Airmen are

  • Being prepared: train for the known, educate for the unknown

    Throughout our careers we have all attended training, whether it is for pre-deployment, annual ancillary or new ideas the Air Force has developed. This past October, while at the Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Ala., I was sitting in a lecture given by Senior

  • Mentorship: building others for success

    Being prepared is the key to the Air Force and its culture. We need to be prepared for many different types of events - from natural disasters to deployments, inspections to challenges in life. Throughout my career, the focus has been on emotional, spiritual, and physical preparedness. These are all

  • Leaders must empower Airmen; foster innovation along the way

    In these times of austerity and adverse fiscal conditions, uncertainty is high. Not just for the present situation, but for the future viability of the world's greatest Air Force. Traditional solutions are not well suited for the non-traditional issues imposed upon us. It will be our ability to

  • My leadership philosophy

    Over the course of my 21-year career in the Air Force, I've had the opportunity to observe the leadership practices of many officers and enlisted leaders, from the enlisted perspective as an Airman and non-commissioned officer, and from the perspective of a commissioned officer. Through daily

  • Different sides of service

    Furloughs, continuing resolution, the debt ceiling and promises of a Department of Defense budget are all issues that can chip away at the careers and sense of commitment we have established while serving our nation. Amidst the turmoil we must remember that service was our choice, voluntary and