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  • Mentoring really does makes a difference

    Many of you have seen the movie "Troy." It follows the typical date-flick format: nation-state has girl, nation-state loses girl, nation-state wants girl back. Many of you may not know, however, that this epic forms the basis for our present-day concept of mentoring. Enter Ulysses -- fierce

  • Training proficiency is important part of MSET

    The Missile Standardization, Evaluation and Training Assessment is Dec. 5 to 10. Training proficiency counts for a significant chunk of the total score (35 percent to be exact). Like evaluation proficiency, training proficiency includes scores from operations (30 percent), maintenance and

  • Freedom comes in guises

    We know them, but we forget them. We ignore them, yet we cherish them. They number in the hundreds of thousands, and there is only one word. Freedom. Freedom comes in several guises: liberty, choice, free will, independence and rights. Those last two words might ring with thoughts of America's

  • How fitness helps your finances

    What would you say to making an extra couple hundred thousand dollars? Well, the Air Force is doing its very best to put that check in the mail, but to get it, you also have a big role in earning this money--here's how. Almost three years ago, the Air Force implemented its new fitness program

  • NCOA lives up to its creed

    It was one of the proudest moments of my life. There I stood behind a podium at my mother's funeral. I shuffled my papers organizing my thoughts and for some reason I looked up. What I saw took my breath away. As I panned the crowd from left to right, I saw that the pews were full of people sitting

  • Honoring the fallen Veteran

    The honor guard is universal to every military member, past and present.Every day veterans, retirees and active-duty military members pass on. It's the mission of the honor guard to render military honors at the member's final resting place.From the flag-draped casket to the playing of taps, there

  • Duty: what it means to an Airman

    Duty. It is such a small, inconspicuous word. To some "duty" shines with thoughts of honor, prestige and service. To others, the word drudges with it a dreaded weight of responsibility. There's no reason to coat it with kindness or color it wonderful: duty, at times, sucks. Military duty might be a

  • A culture of excellence

    Every other week I attend the "Right Start" briefing where I have the privilege of welcoming a new group of Airmen to the best missile base in the command. I can say that we're the best not because of personal opinion, but because we have the hardware to prove it. The Omaha Trophy and the Colonel

  • The power of choice

    I've been thinking about choices and what they mean recently, probably because of the recent Combined Federal Campaign drive and voting registration effort. In both cases individuals have made small personal decisions and contributions that have a huge impact collectively. Through CFC, people's

  • The Greatest Generation

    My father-in-law is the coolest person ever. His name is Leonard, and he's 81. He and my mother-in-law Pat live in a little town in northwest Iowa. They've lived there almost all their life, and they've been married for more than 54 years. My husband and I call them every Sunday. The first topic of