Commentaries

Hold the rope
May 13, 2016 — Years ago, I heard a quote that has stayed with me throughout my career. I can't remember the author's name but I'm sure his words have been in numerous inspirational speeches. The piece is titled, "Hold the Rope.""Hold the rope. On every team no matter what sport, game, occupation or gathering there is that one person. This person is not... MORE

Adventure of a lifetime
April 27, 2016 — Everyone has their own idea of what an "adventure of a lifetime" is for them. I realized one of my "adventures" recently when I attended the Army's Basic Airborne Course at Ft Benning, GA. The Battalion Commander of the 507 Parachute Infantry Regiment invited me to participate in the course while staying at his house (precluding any TDY costs). ... MORE

Lt. Col. John Robinson, 315th Operations Group deputy commander, jumps out of a Joint Base Charleston C-17 Globemaster III over Fryar Drop Zone at Fort Benning, Georgia when he attended the Army's Basic Airborne Course. (Courtesy photo)

Mom and Dad cut down that tree
April 20, 2016 — In today's commercialized society we are constantly receiving messages about what is important in life. Bud Light suggests we should be "up for whatever." Not having a filter and "Thinking Out Loud" isn't a problem, according to Ed Sheeran. "Be Connected. Be Discovered. Be on Facebook" and don't be afraid to "think outside the bun" at Taco... MORE

Relationships between supervisor and subordinate more than mission critical
April 7, 2016 — Joint Base Charleston's most precious asset is its people and the relationships amongst them. The most critical of these relationships is that of the supervisor and the subordinate, which is typically experienced-to-inexperienced in nature. I argue this relationship has impacts that go far beyond mission success or failure.My first supervisor was... MORE

Military persons of character
March 25, 2016 — The term, "character," is often brought up in our military training and discussions. If you asked the random passerby what kind of people have strong character, chances are members of the military would be on the list. Integrity, teamwork, morality, loyalty, these are all aspects of strong character and are common among military members. As... MORE

My glimpse into Combat Camera
March 22, 2016 — Recently, I participated in the 1st Combat Camera Squadron's ten day annual Ability To Survive and Operate exercise. While this may be nothing extraordinary for combat cameramen, it opened up a whole new world for me. As a public affairs specialist, you are working in mostly an office environment. Sometimes you get to cover unique events that... MORE

Senior Airman Benjamin Landon, Operating Location H combat videographer, performs shooting on the move training on Fort Jackson, S.C., March 5, 2016. Exercise Scorpion Lens is an annual Ability To Survive and Operate training evolution mandated by Air Force 3N0XX Job Qualification Standards (3N0XX AFJQS). Individuals are instructed using a “crawl, walk, run” format of training. The exercise is twofold containing the Scorpion Lens portion, dedicated to Advanced Weapons and Tactical Training (AWTT) and the Flash Bang portion dedicated to providing photography and videography documentation standards in combat situations. The purpose of the training is to provide refresher training to combat camera personnel of all ranks and skill levels in basic tactics, techniques, and procedures inherent to combat camera mission tasking. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Clayton Cupit)

From Worst to First
March 22, 2016 — Next month, Air Mobility Command's Inspector General team will arrive at Joint Base Charleston to evaluate its units for one more week. Essentially, they have evaluated us ever since they left Charleston in December 2013. Some of that has gone well and some has not.Approximately one year ago, the 437th Airlift Wing's commander's inspection... MORE

What is your integrity worth?
March 15, 2016 — Would you compromise your integrity for something of no value? Would you squander your integrity for something of minor value or temporary pleasure? You might think these questions are silly. No one would compromise their integrity for such trivial things, or would they?Recently, I played a softball game with teams comprised of coaches and managers... MORE

Charleston is a Special Place
March 2, 2016 — I grew up 45 minutes from Charleston and spent my entire childhood watching C-141s and C-17s glide across the sky on their way to North Field. As a cadet at the Citadel, those majestic airplanes, always a comforting reminder of home, passed overhead on their final approach into Charleston Air Force Base. I knew I was watching something unique,... MORE

My Nominations for Woman of the Year
March 1, 2016 — We look forward to 2016 as the beginning of an era, affording new levels of complete and unbridled access for women in the armed forces. We must acknowledge that the base for many of these newfound opportunities was built and developed during the past year. Indeed, 2015 may find its place in history as the "Year of the Military Woman," because... MORE

Capt. Elizabeth Maley, commander, Naval Health Clinic Charleston