Commentaries

Career Corner: Retraining
February 29, 2012 — Have you ever thought about retraining into a different job? Are you a first term Airman within 13 months of your Date of Separation? Are you a career Airman looking to do something different? The Air Force can provide these opportunities through their retraining programs. As a FTA, once you are 13 months from your DOS, you can apply for retraining... MORE

Diamond Tip: Today's Airmen
February 29, 2012 — How many of you "seasoned" military professionals out there have asked yourselves what has gone wrong with our young Airmen these days? And just to clarify, when I say seasoned, I'm speaking of those nearing or beyond 20 years of military service. Just recently, a fellow senior non-commissioned officer said to me, "I just don't understand what... MORE

Five minutes at a time
February 22, 2012 — "Compete against everyone else and no one will want to help you. Compete against yourself and everyone will want to help you." - Simon SinekI like to run. I run a lot. Some would say to the point of obsession. I don't look at it that way. I look at running as a way to keep healthy, stay fit and even, dare I say it, relax. The other morning, while... MORE

A real hero walks among us
February 15, 2012 — Flipping through the pages of a comic book, I recognize the same story line I've read a thousand times; a superhero uses special powers to defeat a malicious villain with no regard for his own safety. We idolize superheroes because they keep us safe at any cost. We feel comfortable with this story-line and its bright comic book colors, courageous... MORE

Highlights from Staff Sgt. Jessica McMahan's 12 year Air Force career are displayed Feb. 10. McMahan deployed twice to Iraq and is a Bronze Star recipient. McMahan is a combat broadcaster with the 1st Combat Camera Squadron at Joint Base Charleston - Air Base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nicole Mickle)

Diamond Tip
February 15, 2012 — Who is your mentor? Better yet, who are you mentoring?Mentoring relationships are the cornerstone of an effective team and organization. Today, with changes, such as Career Job Reservation restraints, force shaping and deployments, our Airmen need mentorship more than ever. That's why it's so important to have both formal and informal mentoring... MORE

Career Corner
February 15, 2012 — Are you an Airman who is currently or about to be within 13 months of your Date of Separation? If so, you will be required to complete a Career Job Reservation and a commander's recommendation in order to reenlist in today's Air Force. Recently, Air Staff released a list of Air Force Specialty Codes that will have limited to no CJRs approved for... MORE

Leadership should be what?
February 14, 2012 — "Leaders should be collaborative, modest and generous." - Bill Bradley, former U.S. Senator and retired NBA player Everyone has their own conception of what leadership should be. If all of these ideas were put on a drawing board, many of them would be the same or in the same realm. One of the reasons I chose Senator Bradley's quote is because it... MORE

"A Message to Garcia - A Lesson on Initiative"
February 13, 2012 — This week, I spent time talking to several leaders. The subject of self-driven people came up a number of times. Don't we all long to have that warrior whose initiative becomes an inspiration to us and our organizations?I thought about this for a while. My thoughts transported me to 1998. In one of my leadership courses, I remember talking to... MORE

Words of Wisdom - Gaining Momentum
February 13, 2012 — Beautiful morning wherever you are...yes, carry the sun within you this week!I love getting among inspiring people. A young warrior pass this piece to me almost a year ago. This excerpt from John C. Maxwell is called "Momentum Breaker or Maker." It presents a great vector check for all of us this week! In our lives, if we are looking for personal... MORE

Get a life
February 8, 2012 — Recently, while on leave, I limited myself to checking my e-mail only three times a day. I considered that to be pretty good and was quite pleased with my self-control ... until my wife reminded me I was on leave and the squadron and Air Force would survive without me (see previous commentary on leaving home).We hear how important the work-life... MORE