Commentaries

My leadership principles
May 9, 2014 — Many leaders, both servicemen and senior civilian personnel, get wrapped up in the process of work and forget simple leadership aspects of their jobs. While the process and managing is important, if you lead a team, I suggest you step back and look at the role you provide to your team. It is simple; let them deal with process and managing the tasks... MORE

What would you do?
May 6, 2014 — There is a popular TV show that uses hidden cameras and actors to test what people would do if put in a situation where they observed people making bad choices or treating people inappropriately. As I watch the show, it seems obvious what action those passing by should take but, quite often that response is not what happens ... those passing by do... MORE

Chief Master Sgt. Mark Bronson, 628th Air Base Wing command chief, is the principal advisor to the Joint Base Charleston commander on all matters of morale, welfare, readiness, professional development and operations utilization of the enlisted force. (Official photo)

Diamond Tip: Change for the better
April 28, 2014 — The one constant in today's military is change. We are faced with changes from all directions that affect us in many different ways. One such change affecting our Airman's lives is the current Force Management program. How will our bodies and mind deal with the uncertainty and change associated with Force Management initiatives? I would say it will... MORE

Learning from history — does what you do matter?
April 22, 2014 — This year, April 27 through May, make up the Days of Remembrance, a time set aside each year to memorialize the victims of the Holocaust. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has identified the 2014 theme as "Confronting the Holocaust: American Responses," a very appropriate theme as the U.S. decision to take action in World War II saved... MORE

SAPR Down-Day is Bull?
April 22, 2014 — Sir Francis Galton was a smart guy. He figured out a few useful things like fingerprints in crime investigation, weather maps in newspapers, and statistical concepts like correlation and regression toward the mean. His work in statistics ushered in the idea of "The Wisdom of the Masses." So how did he come up with this idea, when most people think... MORE

Labels
April 22, 2014 — What labels have you heard in your squadron lately? My best Airman, Airman of the Quarter, Airman of the Millennium, or even "Dirt bag" or perhaps "My Problem Child?"All of those labels can make or break an Airman. The type of label you place on an individual will play a key role on how they will turn out. When you use positive labels, Airmen will... MORE

Respect: give it to get it
April 22, 2014 — "Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners." - Laurence SterneAn Airman stopped by my office today to chat for a few minutes in between appointments. During the course of the conversation, I realized that she was rather upset about an incident that had happened earlier that morning. She had been in the base... MORE

Finding light through darkness
April 18, 2014 — Keeping a secret that defines you, that has shaped your life for nearly three years now and is sure to shape the rest, a secret that you go to sleep with every night and wake to every morning is sometimes hard to keep trapped inside.I could probably go my entire life without revealing the sad truth that I was raped by another Airman, but to stay... MORE

Senior Airman Dennis Sloan, 628th Air Base Wing Public Affairs photojournalist, walks on the Joint Base Charleston flightline in search of a photo May 5, 2013. A victim of sexual assault, Sloan says his passion for photography "keeps (him) breathing" and offers solace from his otherwise painful memories. (U.S. Air Force photo/ SrA George Goslin)

Integrity: Our most important core value
April 14, 2014 — Integrity, Service Before Self, and Excellence In All We Do. These three Air Force Core Values are what we should live by as Airmen, and are excellent values for any person to follow. But, I would like to discuss what I believe is the most important of the core values and that is integrity. So what is integrity, why is it important and why do we... MORE

Be nice
March 31, 2014 — Have you ever heard the saying, you'll catch more flies with honey than vinegar? Simply put, it means, be nice! This saying is something everyone should think about when talking to friends and strangers alike. We all have those days where we wish we could just crawl back into bed and try again tomorrow, but acting disgruntled and rude only makes... MORE