Commentaries

Commander's perspective
February 11, 2014 — Joint Base Charleston finished 2013 very strong; one of our capstone achievements was providing logistics support at a national level after the passing of former South African President Nelson Mandela. His struggle against the oppressive regime in South Africa made him a historic icon. Like many on that day, I monitored news and social media... MORE

Pursue challenges
February 5, 2014 — The iconic "Hollywood" cowboy Will Rogers once stated, "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." There is a lot to be taken from his words. Like most Airman in our Air Force I was doing all the right things ... mastering my job, learning the roles of becoming a supervisor and it seemed I was on the "right... MORE

True grit
February 4, 2014 — There has been much talk recently about resiliency and most of us have attended an eight-hour resiliency class by now. The discussion and training are designed to help us bounce back from adversity. If we turn the prism a bit, we come to a similar, but less talked about concept: grit. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines grit as "firmness of mind... MORE

Who's on your team
January 21, 2014 — I was walking by the base track last week and saw the normal morning PT test activities going on. Airmen in different colored jerseys were running around the track as fast as they could to pass their test. This time, however, what stood out most to me was the other people present that morning. The Physical Training Leader's were standing near the... MORE

Looking ahead to 2014
January 7, 2014 — This is the time of year prognosticators look ahead to predict what is on the horizon for the next 12 months. I don't claim to have any powers of prediction, but if one were to forecast some of the impacts that national and world events will have on our military in 2014, I'll offer these general areas to focus your scan. Starting at the global... MORE

Interesting times
December 30, 2013 — "There is a Chinese curse which says, 'May he live in interesting times.' Like it or not, we live in interesting times ..." Robert KennedyHappy New Year! I am not sure where 2013 went, but 2014 is fully upon us and there is no turning back. 2013 was a year of unique challenges and 2014 is shaping up to be more of the same. When I look back at 2013,... MORE

Stop and wind the clock
December 13, 2013 — When writing an article, I try to consider what people are interested enough in to motivate them to keep reading versus moving on to the next article. In today's fast-paced world, everything moves at light-speed, so I'm guessing you will afford me about 10 seconds or less of your valuable time before you decide to keep reading or move on. Wow, talk... MORE

T’was the night before Christmas: A Joint Base Charleston Rendition
December 10, 2013 — As we enter the height of the Christmas season, I wanted to be sure to take a moment to reflect on everything that is being accomplished by so many here at Joint Base Charleston. It can never be said enough, just how thankful we are to have such dedicated Airmen and Sailors who sacrifice their time so that others have everything they need during... MORE

A DAY WHICH WILL LIVE IN INFAMY:
December 6, 2013 — Team Charleston Teammates and Friends,That "Day of Infamy" was Dec. 7, 1941 ... when a surprise military attack conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy entered the United States into World War II. The United States Navy lost or took heavy damage on eight battleships, three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship and a mine laying... MORE

Diamond Tip - Honor US not me
November 25, 2013 — Just a few days before Veteran's Day, I overheard a young airman say, "If they want to honor me for Veteran's Day they should give me a free breakfast . I should not have to get up early and march in my blues." I am often "that guy" who will correct a member if they are not within standards or redirect their vector if they veer off with a haphazard... MORE