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  • If the KC-135 had a horn

    While picking up my six-year-old daughter from school one evening, I was surrounded by the general chaos that ensues from the combination of elementary school children and a playground.  Suddenly, a dull roar began to fill the air and all movement ceased, eyes averted skyward, and happy screams

  • E-Holocaust: Get Connected

    I take solace in knowing that young Americans want to be connected to the past. They proudly post pictures on social media sites of the life and service of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives. They similarly seem to enjoy connecting to more than once-removed family members they have

  • Fort Hood tragedy a reminder to take care of one another

    As a mental health professional, a military member and a human being, the recent events at Fort Hood, Texas, hit home. For a tragic second time at the same installation, an individual reached the conclusion they had no better way to cope with distress than to harm their fellow service members.

  • Let your conscience be your guide.

    Let your conscience be your guide.That's pretty simple advice. We all remember the story of Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket and from our childhoods, and the horrible outcomes when Jiminy's advice was disregarded. The interesting thing is, following your conscience is great advice whether you're young

  • Concern, action trump perfection in supervisors

    One of the best senior NCOs I've ever worked with was a troubled man whose personal demons cost him his career.This senior master sergeant was an alcoholic whose drinking caused him to be sent back early from an overseas assignment in 1987 when he was about the age I am now. He landed in my office

  • Prepare, Plan, Prioritize; Getting through the stress of UTA weekends

    Monday mornings may be the hardest part of a UTA weekend. You are dragging from working all weekend, probably on your eighth day straight of work, with another four more days to go. Additionally, the errands and chores you take care of on the weekends remain undone.Although the greatest stress of

  • Mustache March, Air Force Heritage and you

    So it's March and what's the first thing you think about in this glorious month...Mustache March of course. Maybe not, but this year Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh issued a challenge to the force for this March."I don't think we've ever had an all-in Mustache March, have we?" Welsh said

  • Looking ahead to 2014

    This is the time of year prognosticators look ahead to predict what is on the horizon for the next twelve months. I don't claim to have any powers of prediction, but if one were to forecast some of the impacts that national and world events will have on our military in 2014, I'll offer these general

  • Commander sends holiday season greetings to Citizen Airmen

    As we finish this year and look forward to the next, I want to thank you for your outstanding commitment and professionalism. You and your fellow Citizen Airmen clearly displayed a "service before self" attitude.From sequestration to the government shutdown, the budget challenges were numerous. I

  • Dropping the bag... and the attitude

    Nearly 30 anxious girls stumbled out of a bus with a varied collection of clothing and baggage and lined up in their first formation as a flight. They were "greeted" by an almost seven-foot man with a big bushy mustache and a campaign hat who yelled at them before targeting one (because of her huge