Commentaries

The Opportunity of Failure
April 8, 2015 — There are 86,400 seconds in a day. How did you use those seconds today? What did you learn? What difference did you make? Did you leave an opportunity behind? Over the past 20 months, I have asked myself these questions daily as I leave work. Sometimes I feel very good about the answers to those questions, and some days ... I feel like I have... MORE

Start with asking “why?”
April 6, 2015 — "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." -- President Calvin Coolidge"Every... MORE

The Brig's Mission
April 1, 2015 — The mission of Naval Consolidated Brig Charleston is to ensure the security, good order, discipline and safety of pre-trial and post-trial prisoners, to retrain and restore the maximum number of personnel to honorable service, to prepare prisoners for return to civilian life as productive citizens; and when directed by appropriate authority,... MORE

Commander J. Michael Cole, Naval Consolidated Brig Charleston commanding officer

Soup for your soul
April 1, 2015 — May 15, 2014 was a bright sunny day; the birds were singing; the scent of flowers permeated the air while laughter filled the indoor atmosphere. Regrettably it was a workday. However, the windows were propped open and a slight breeze blew through the office. I was gazing out my office window, taking a few moments to enjoy the splendor. What a... MORE

Opening Day: Baseball and building military heritage
March 25, 2015 — "This field, this game: it's a part of our past. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh, people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come." - Field of Dreams (1989)As Major League Baseball's opening day approaches, I can't help but reflect on the sights and sounds that trumpet the rich... MORE

Colonel Scott A. Sauter, 315th Airlift Wing vice commander

Religious Freedom and Accommodation in Today’s Military
March 24, 2015 — Religious freedom and accommodation--few subjects raise greater questions than these for our diverse society. And although we in the military wear a common uniform and adopt the same core values, we feel the weight of these questions just as strongly as our civilian counterparts.Can I show signs of my faith in the workplace? What can I say, and to... MORE

18th Air Force Commanders Intent
March 18, 2015 — Mobility Airmen,In my last letter to you, I asked you to call "time out" and re-evaluate how we can safely accomplish our local and global mission. Since then, our wings have held safety down days and the feedback I have received from your leadership has been very positive.We are off to a good start, now I challenge you to continue to maintain that... MORE

Carlton Everhart II, Lieutenant General, USAF, Commander

Lessons from a SeaBee
March 17, 2015 — About six months ago, I went through a pretty challenging time in my life when my father passed away. Although his passing was not totally unexpected, the pain of losing my father was greater than expected. My father dedicated more than 20 years to the U.S. Navy as a SeaBee (derived from CB, short for Construction Battalion), and another 20 as a... MORE

(Col. Jimmy Canlas, 437th Airlift Wing vice commander)

The Military Common Core
March 17, 2015 — In an effort to better prepare our youth for success after high school, many states are adopting what are known as the Common Core State Standards. The Common Core focuses on developing critical-thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills in the areas of mathematics and English. The intent is a more developed, well-rounded generation ready to... MORE

Lt. Col. Patrick Miller, 628th Civil Engineer Squadron commander

The Learning Organization is the path to innovation
March 12, 2015 — Air Mobility Command is currently working a pilot program for implementing the "Learning Organization" principles into the 22nd Air Refueling Wing at McConnel1 Air Force Base. I have been part of the "Learn Organization" transformation at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard where the benefits greatly improved the shipyard productivity and business... MORE

CAPT Timothy Sparks, Joint Base Charleston deputy commander