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  • Hard work leads to recognition

    When I think of recognition, I think of the quarterly and annual awards program.However, as I worked with the annual awards committee, I stared to reflect on what it means to others within my squadron. I was astonished to hear that many people don't believe in it. Most think it's the "good ole boy

  • Recognizing a professional

    Last week, I reached a milestone ... 25 years as a member of the Air Force.In that time, I have held 10 different ranks from airman basic to lieutenant colonel, and I have discovered that regardless of the rank, we tend to fail in communicating what is meant when we use words like leadership,

  • Be effective communicators

    I consider myself to be a fairly thoughtful person and a master of efficiency and multi-tasking.Every day, I almost single-handedly defeat a virtual army of taskers and suspenses sent from higher headquarters and DoD agencies. I am the reigning champ of on-time responses to the wing command

  • Follow to make a difference

    To the young lieutenant with a desire to command or the airman with their goal set on being a command chief, one thing is for sure. Regardless of one's leadership aspirations, all should learn the importance of followership. The term followership seems to carry a negative connotation in our

  • Followership: Be the light

    Followership is this month's theme under the Year of Leadership, and I witnessed a pretty cool analogy as to what helps the follower "make it" in today's Air Force and move on to leadership.The idea came to me while I was watching a documentary about sea turtles.In the group with the largest number

  • AFSPC Cyber Awareness Day

    General Kehler, AFSPC/CC, has declared Thursday, 19 February 09, AFSPC Cyber Awareness Day. As each one of us has access to a variety of networks, it is imperative that we adopt a "cyber sentry" ethos that keeps us vigilant to all potential network attacks. Many of you have experienced cyber

  • Career progression: Personal charge

    Career progression, upgrade training -- however you want to name it, it is important and ultimately your responsibility as an Airman in the U.S. Air Force to maintain a skill level commensurate to your rank.As your base training manager, I am responsible to ensure the upgrade training status of

  • Finance: lose debt, create savings

    Was one of your New Year's resolutions to get financially fit? Warren Federal Credit Union and the Warren Airman and Family Readiness Center have launched the "Combat Debt/Score Savings" challenge. Would you like to decrease your debt load; jump start your savings; and stop living paycheck to

  • Not on my watch: Nuclear surety

    There is a line in the movie "A Few Good Men" that always gives me chills. It is not the line about eating breakfast 400 yards from 2,000 Cubans; it is not the line, "You can't handle the truth." The one that always rings true with me takes place between two of the defense attorneys, Lieutenant

  • Education important now, always

    In January 1988, I was first introduced to the Montgomery G.I. Bill and education opportunities in the Air Force. As our training instructor walked us through filling the forms required to accept or deny this option, I wondered why I needed any additional education. After all, I had declined two