10 Mar 2017

Let's have a cup of coffee

Regardless of your profession, many of us have all been in positions defining the required "Leadership" and "Management" qualifications as an expectation of our ability to execute our office. But like many things, no two are alike and not one will prevail without the help of another.

9 Mar 2017

Honor and Respect Among Airmen

Every Airman deserves to be treated with respect, and every Airman is expected to act with honor.

31 Jan 2017

Flying Jennies grow day by day

You never know what curveballs life and, in particular, the Air Force are going to throw at you. In October 2015, I was stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base flying a standard Friday afternoon student sortie as a C-130J schoolhouse instructor. As soon as we landed I received a message to call my operations group commander…which isn’t usually good news.

19 Jan 2017

Remembering Boston Marathon tragedy inspires patriotism in one 477th FG runner

As I prepare for the 2017 Boston Marathon, pounding the payment in 0 degree temperatures, on snow and ice covered trails, my mind is often drawn back to my first Boston Marathon, the 2013 marathon and my journey getting there, and the catastrophic ending to the event. Although I was not a victim physically, the events that day certainly had an impact on me and my family and altered my perspective on many things.

17 Dec 2016

Citizen Airmen, Marines lead the way at 407th AEG

The U.S. Airmen and Marines of the 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron are leading the way on their deployment with a truly collective approach to joint defense operations. Over the past decade, joint operations between U.S. sister services has become increasingly prevalent. So much so, that the joint environment has become the paradigm of comprehensive and effective battlespace ownership. What is unique about the base defense mission here is the integration of not only two U.S. sister services, but also a coalition partner, all under one, unified tactical control.

1 Dec 2016

The importance of good character

Someone once said that people of genius are admired, people of wealth are envied, people of power are feared, but only people of “character” are trusted. Without character…you cannot be trusted, and if you be cannot be trusted…you cannot lead. The word character comes from the Greek, meaning "to make a mark." Your character is your mark on the world. Character can be defined as the sum of one’s characteristics. Whereas, strength of character, is to have strong characteristics that are of value to others and to one’s self. Said another way, the ethical values we all strive to represent are characteristics, while strength of character is the extent to which you execute your values.

1 Dec 2016

I’m terrified and I will not fail

I was sitting on the floor at Denver International Airport waiting for a flight to San Antonio. I leaned against a cool glass window in jeans and a black tee shirt, holding the Airman’s Creed on a business card with tiny letters in my hands. Several other trainees-to-be and I were taking turns reading it out loud in an attempt to both quell our nerves and get a step ahead. I was almost 23-years-old and terrified that joining the Air Force was the wrong decision. “And I will not fail,” we repeated.

21 Nov 2016

Spending more on gifts won’t bring more holiday happiness

The holidays are approaching once again, and so the season of gift giving is upon us. Its arrival is marked by barrages of nonsensical advertising and holiday specials on everything from sweatshirts to new cars to payday loans.

15 Nov 2016

One Airman's thankfulness: Dodging bullets with Tupperware

This morning my husband said something profound: “Every day you should slap yourself in the face so you don’t forget yesterday.” At first, we busted out laughing at his over-the-top phrasing, but afterward he expanded what he was trying to convey -- that we all need to remember the things that happen to us in life. With a near-miss by a potential

8 Nov 2016

Developmental, training flight gives enlistee boot camp edge

Grammy award-winning rap artist Drake in his song “Own it” said, “When was the last time you did something for the first time?” For me, that would have been the day I joined the military. It was a new, nerve-racking and challenging process.  After visiting an Air Force Reserve recruiter, my military journey began. As my luck would have it, a