Commentaries

Schools out, safe driving needed
May 31, 2017 — Summer is almost here bringing warmer weather and the end of the school year. Children will be out enjoying the outdoors and their freedom from the restrictions of the classroom. More than 160 (elementary, middle and high) schools in the metro Charleston area will be closing for the summer. Drivers need to heighten their awareness of the... MORE

Sharpen Your Axe
May 17, 2017 — President Abraham Lincoln once said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” He was teaching us all about preparing for future obstacles we may face. Most of us see a tree in our path and attack it head on with a blunt blade. We typically are willing to fight the pain and labor through the... MORE

841st conducts situational understanding and systems thinking training
May 17, 2017 — The Army’s, 841st Transportation Battalion conducted a Leadership Professional Development session discussing situational understanding and systems thinking here, March 7. Based on the positive feedback, the training was well-received and considered a great engagement. I assisted Navy Lt. Brenton, the primary facilitator for the program and... MORE

The village wine and the importance of personal contribution
May 17, 2017 — During my days in university, I came across a short reading from an unknown author which greatly impacted my performance on every task or job since. It applies to every position in every command and describes what can happen at a command if people don’t feel their work is important enough or their contribution significant enough to make a... MORE

The importance of recognizing superior performers
May 3, 2017 — Recognition is a fundamental human need. Therefore, recognizing Airmen is a fundamental responsibility of leadership because taking care of Airmen is a leader’s priority. As the adage goes, if a leader takes care of the people, the people will take care of the mission. Recognition in the Air Force can be both formal and informal. Medals are an... MORE

Lowcountry neighbor provides local, national and international training
May 3, 2017 — The Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement Academy (MLEA) co-located with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in North Charleston provides Law Enforcement (LE) training to more than 2000 active duty and reserve members annually. The MLEA was established in 2004 to prepare Coast Guard (CG) personnel to perform the duties of maritime... MORE

Days of Remembrance
April 24, 2017 — Each year the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum leads the way in commemorating, Holocaust Remembrance Day/Days of Remembrance. This year’s Holocaust Remembrance Day/Days of Remembrance observance will be celebrated April 23- 30, 2017. With the theme “Learning From the Holocaust: The Strength of the Human Spirit”, everyone is encouraged to... MORE

The founding of Charleston Air Force Base
April 19, 2017 — JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. - On December 10, 1941, only three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, The Army Air Force’s 56th Pursuit Group based at Charlotte, North Carolina and its 61st Pursuit Squadron arrived at the Charleston Municipal Airport. The squadron’s P-39 Airacobra and P-40 Warhawk aircraft provided coastal defense operations for... MORE

Nothing taken for granted
April 19, 2017 — My comments here are directed towards the 2,200 members of the 628th Mission Support Group. It is no small feat to consistently and effectively keep a military installation running smoothly, especially a joint installation. Yet the women and men of the 628th MSG do it every day, usually behind the scenes, without fanfare. Unfortunately, in our... MORE

NNPTC continues supporting Day of Caring
April 5, 2017 — As is the case in many military commands, Naval Nuclear Power Training Command is an extremely demanding environment for staff and students alike. The level of knowledge and technical expertise required for success necessitates a time commitment beyond anything many have experienced. Such a commitment to professional excellence can limit the time... MORE