Commentaries

Falling in Love with Stories
November 8, 2023 — A commentary by Airman 1st Class Thomas Hansford about falling in love with telling stories... MORE

Airman 1st Class poses in uniform for an official photo in front of the American flag.

But it's all natural!
March 2, 2022 — The air floods thick with pollen every spring. This is nature’s way of saying; “I’m alive and ready for the new year.” The ensuing blanket of yellow is followed by shouts and gestures resembling a mother’s reaction to finding a can of open paint in the same room with the rapture of children at play. Rain puddles mixed with pollen do resemble a puddle of yellow paint... MORE

The Beauty of Conflict
November 17, 2021 — ImageryImagine the process of glass making. There are separate materials with their own boundaries, makeup and place in the world going into an open furnace to break down the elements, meld them together, and create something new and glorious. There are other natural friction points that create new opportunities. Carbon compressed under the earth... MORE

Finally, the 628th Air Base Wing Equal Opportunity & Negotiated Dispute Resolution office has a trained cadre to offer interest based negotiation sessions (facilitation for military members and mediation for civilian members) assigned to units we serve.

Joint Base Charleston Hosts Leadership Reasonable Accommodation Training
October 5, 2021 — Many by-law programs are available for leaders to optimize the workforce and ensure inclusive practices. Navigating the intricacies of all the programs and requirements can be challenging. To provide education and training for the Reasonable Accommodations Program, Joint Base Charleston championed the second deliberate leadership development initiative to provide two in-person sessions on November 10th, 2021. The featured speaker is Ms. Kendra Shock, the Air Force Disability Program Manager, seven-time Air-Force level award winner. She will educate the attendees on the requirements and process of the Reasonable Accommodation Program as outlined in Air Force Instruction 36-2710 with a specific focus on COVID19 nuances. Ms. Shock explains how Reasonable Accommodation (RA) is any modification or adjustment to a job, an employment practice, or the work environment that enables a qualified individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities. She emphasizes Disability Accommodation is a case-specific and fact-specific process, and Reasonable Accommodation is an interactive process between the individual with a disability and management. ... MORE

Holy City Tour
September 24, 2021 — On September 14, 2021, Chaplain Joel Kornegay and Historian Josh Mayes combined expertise and competencies to provide Joint Base Charleston an opportunity to visit five historic churches in the 'Holy City' – downtown Charleston. It was ideal weather for the ten JB Charleston teammates who ventured on the 2.8-mile walking tour. In the beginning, Mayes dispelled the myth the Holy City's moniker for Charleston was based on religious tolerance. Instead, he explained the name was "popularized in the 1930s in an obituary. The English settled South Carolina in Charles Towne Landing to be proprietary – a money maker." ... MORE

Words matter in creating a climate and culture of trust
June 9, 2021 — Trust is built over time generally based on character, commitment, competence, and compassion. Service members (military and civilian) must trust each other in order to execute our no-fail mission. Sometimes, the environment created diminishes someone purposefully or accidentally, and everyone is empowered to prevent and stop those... MORE

Joint Base Charleston Hosts Leadership Reasonable Accommodation Training
May 7, 2021 — Many by-law programs are available for leaders to optimize the workforce and ensure inclusive practices. Navigating the intricacies of all the programs and requirements can be challenging. To provide education and training for the Reasonable Accommodations Program, Joint Base Charleston championed the deliberate leadership development initiative to provide a virtual session on May 10, 2021 from 1000-1130... MORE

Social Connection through Human Dignity and Respect
April 7, 2021 — “People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.” - Theodore Roosevelt The Community Action Team (JBCARES) is comprised of agencies that work together to track program trends and develop potential action plans that impact our Joint Base Charleston community – our collective goal is to always create and sustain a thriving connection culture. People programs that leverage and build “critical/soft skills” sometimes take a back burner to the prioritized programs that build the “hard skills” necessary to fly, fight and win in air, space and cyberspace. The Air Force excels at progressive upgrade training for the knowledge, skills and abilities to do the essential components of jobs and finding efficiencies for processes to streamline those jobs. I believe people are the critical component of mission accomplishment – and their deliberate development in skills that make them a consummate teammate and leader is equally important. ... MORE

But it’s all natural!
March 23, 2021 — The air floods thick with pollen every spring. This is nature’s way of saying, “I’m alive and ready for the new year.” The ensuing blanket of yellow is followed by shouts and gestures resembling a mother’s reaction to finding a can of open paint in the same room with the rapture of children at play. Rain puddles mixed with pollen do resemble a puddle of yellow paint. Another common sound heard may be the noise of a power washer running or the screams of people being sprayed with cold water while trying to wash the unsightly pollen and other detritus off houses, vehicles, driveways and white picket fences. This is all a natural response to; “Hey … it’s dirty and needs washing!”... MORE

Why we need to protect wetlands
September 30, 2020 — Many people living in the United States are unaware of the importance of wetlands and the need to protect them. It's an issue occasionally reported on television news and sometimes on programs found on cable TV channels such as The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and the National Geographic Channel. But what are wetlands? And why are they so important? Wetlands are land in which the soil is saturated with moisture either permanently or during certain times during the year. Wetlands may be partially or completely covered by shallow pools of water and include lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, swamps and marshes. They can be saltwater, freshwater or brackish. Another way to describe a wetland is that it is an area of land having a water table that stands at or near the surface for a long enough season each year to support aquatic plants. ... MORE