Commentaries

How do you cast your vote … and why?
February 6, 2008 — The South Carolina primaries and "Super Tuesday" have run their course and I still can't decipher what exactly "socially progressive liberal conservatism" means. Yes friends, the political season is in full swing, and because I want my vote to represent me and my beliefs, I'm in a quandary ... and I'm probably not alone. If you're like me, you... MORE

Commander's Comments
February 5, 2008 — Good morning Team Charleston. In my previous two commentaries, I highlighted two of my three focus areas for Charleston Air Force Base ..."Airmen and Family" and "Mission." This week, I am continuing my discussion on "Mission." Charleston AFB is unique; a premier organization in an extraordinary time, a time when the nation is at war. The... MORE

Command Chief's Corner
January 30, 2008 — Team Charleston, at the heart of every successful organization is its ability to effectively communicate. Everyday across this base and throughout the Air Force, commanders and other unit leaders issue orders and directions that are vital to mission accomplishment. The nature of our work requires that we ensure those communications are clearly... MORE

From being mentor to becoming a mentee
January 30, 2008 — As a Senior NCO one of the greatest opportunities we have is being able to mentor and guide our subordinates. Mentoring someone is not a hard and tedious task; all you have to be is genuine in your concerns for people and take the time to share your experiences and knowledge. In Air Force Instruction 36-3401, mentoring is defined as a "trusted... MORE

New merger leads to 437th Force Support Squadron
January 30, 2008 — The New Year will again usher in major changes to your mission support squadron, but one thing will remain the same. Taking care of Charleston's Airmen and their Families will be our number one priority. This spring, two squadrons in the mission support group will become one; the 437th Services Squadron will merge with the 437th Mission Support... MORE

Commander’s Commentary
January 23, 2008 — Good morning Team Charleston. My commentary this week is the second in a three-part series of my three focus areas for Team Charleston -- Airmen and family, mission and community. Last week I talked about taking care of Airmen and their families. This week's focus is on mission. As most of you are aware, we were honored by a visit from the... MORE

Command Chief's Corner
January 23, 2008 — Team Charleston. With the start of 2008 we began the year with the challenging, but rewarding task of selecting the men and women whose performance in 2007 should be recognized. The wing's annual awards program recognizes and rewards exceptional performance that significantly contributes to the accomplishments of our mission. At the core of the... MORE

Lessons learned from former commanders
January 23, 2008 — I recently returned from the Air Mobility Commander's Course at Scott AFB and one of the highlights of my trip was running into my long-time mentor, retired Colonel Donald Siegel. Col Siegel was my squadron commander during my first tour as a newly pinned on Second Lieutenant. We were stationed together at Rhein-Main AB, Germany from early 1994 to... MORE

Making sure your family’s information is up-to-date is paramount
January 23, 2008 — Every week an Airman or his dependent comes into my office with a problem related to a service their dependents have received on base at the clinic, services facility, Base Exchange or commissary. Usually these issues are easy to resolve, but if the Airman is deployed and it is their dependent we are helping it can be a real challenge. Often the... MORE

Commander’s Commentary
January 16, 2008 — Welcome back Team Charleston! I hope you were able to enjoy the holiday season, spend time with family and friends, and catch up on some well-deserved rest and relaxation. You faced many challenges and achieved numerous successes during 2007, and I know 2008 will bring many of the same challenges of the past year as we continue to fight the Global... MORE