Commentaries

Have We Become an Air Force of Distractions?
November 4, 2015 — All of us had our own reason for joining the Air Force - maybe it was to escape a bad family situation, maybe it was for an education, maybe it was patriotism, perhaps a love of flying or travel, or maybe just an urge to be part of something greater than ourselves. Some of us may have even just stumbled into this business without any real... MORE

I Know Who, What, When and Where...but Why?
November 3, 2015 — Leading by example can be a heavy burden, but it is the burden we choose to carry when we don the uniform each day. As leaders, we should focus on showing others "how" to be an American Airman who embodies the Core Values. We should also explain "why" it matters to serve with the utmost integrity because the "who, what, when and where" will then... MORE

DIVERSITY BRINGS STRENGTH TO TEAM CHARLESTON
October 28, 2015 — Diversity is essential for highly effective commonality of purpose. On the surface this may appear to be a contradiction, how can there be similarities and a common environment if everything around you is diverse and different? The people you interact with on a daily basis grew up in different locations and have different backgrounds, experiences... MORE

Do the right thing … Even if no one is watching
October 28, 2015 — "Integrity in all we do." It's something that is drilled into us when we join the military. -. But what does it mean to you and how do you incorporate it into all aspects of your life?When we act honestly and adhere to a moral code based on the idea of right versus wrong, we are exhibiting integrity. To put it simply, integrity is choosing right... MORE

The Victim Advocate Speaks Out Against Domestic Violence
October 27, 2015 — October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. One in four women and one in seven men over the age of 18 will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime according to the National Network to End Domestic Violence. "WHY ISN'T THIS CONSIDERED AN EMERGENCY? "Sometimes I am still stunned that a public health issue of this proportion has not been... MORE

A Call for Volunteer Service
October 21, 2015 — "There is a debt of service due from every man to his country, proportioned to the bounties which nature and fortune have measured him." Thomas JeffersonWhen we see this quote, most of us in the military or civil service immediately think of our professional service as our down payment on the debt Jefferson references. While I agree, I would... MORE

Provide and Seek Out Candid Feedback
October 21, 2015 — Providing valuable feedback is crucial to our success. Ideally it should reinforce positive behavior and improve weak areas. Both the officer and enlisted evaluation systems are built feedback and it is a crucial part of leadership development. This holds true up and down the change of command. Positive feedback is relatively easy to provide. ... MORE

Face-to-Face Engagements "in lieu of email"
October 14, 2015 — In my experience, there is a definite art to effectively communicating thoughts and ideas to colleagues, subordinates and, especially, your boss. Some will argue that the educational process for communication began for all of us back in elementary school. Our teachers taught us that simple ways of doing business will stand the test of time. When... MORE

Lt. Col. Terry Tyree, 437th Operations Support Squadron commander

“What Were You Wearing?”
October 14, 2015 — Recently, a tweet on social media gained national attention after a user asked her followers to share their personal stories of sexual assault."What were you wearing when you were assaulted?" Followers began replying en masse with permission to retweet. Tweets varied in response but all shed light on who is affected by sexual assault. These... MORE

GPC, Efficiencies and You
October 7, 2015 — You may not know what GPC is but, believe it or not, it has greatly impacted you and your unit's mission. It would be farfetched to believe any of us could do our jobs without something that was purchased using GPC. So what is GPC? GPC stands for the Government Purchase Card. It's a Visa card used by members within an organization to procure... MORE