Commentaries

USCG James’ eventful 2017
February 14, 2018 — In late September 2017, the crew of the USCGC JAMES (WMSL 754) was finishing a deployment in support of the Coast Guard’s Western Hemisphere Strategy to combat illicit trafficking of narcotics in the Eastern Pacific. Their results were impressive; directly interdicting 15 drug smuggling vessels, seizing 10,861 kilograms of cocaine valued at $320... MORE

Teen dating violence: what you should know
February 12, 2018 — February, with Valentine’s Day, is a month when love is in the air as we anticipate romantic dinner dates, flowers or gifts from the ones we love. February is also a time to call attention to the darker side of relationships. February is also National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and... MORE

High-Touch Leadership
February 9, 2018 — Technology has revolutionized our lives and the Air Force. Our high-tech culture and military are capable of unprecedented effectiveness and agility due to the speed of communication. In many facets of our personal and professional lives, technology gives us the ability to communicate rapidly and accomplish a variety of tasks with minimal personal... MORE

Thank you for a strong 2017
February 2, 2018 — It is customary, as each year comes to a close, to reflect on the challenges faced and the successes achieved throughout the year. Before I could share my thoughts about 2017 with you, however, Winter Storm Grayson provided Joint Base Charleston our first challenge of 2018. As always, the entire JB Charleston team responded positively, allowing us... MORE

Command Career Counselors prepare Sailors
January 31, 2018 — The Navy Command Career Counselor is the critical link between an individual Sailor, his or her command and supporting Navy organizations. Their ultimate goal is to develop Sailors who are properly prepared for career milestones directly linked to advancement. The personal goal I set prior to arriving at every command is to earn the Retention... MORE

SPAWAR 2017 year in review
January 30, 2018 — 2017 was another remarkable year for SPAWAR Systems Center (SSC) Atlantic and I’d like to take this opportunity to share some of the highlights with our Joint Base Charleston partners.We have major programs underway around the world involving command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR)... MORE

JB CHS, Aviation Authority Speak to Storm Response
January 19, 2018 — Last week's historic winter storm created hazardous conditions, power outages, and icy roads all across the Lowcountry. In coordination with the Charleston County Aviation Authority, Joint Base Charleston's focus was on the safety of our local community, respective employees, and travelers to and from Charleston. While these efforts delayed plans... MORE

An “Outsider’s” perspective
January 17, 2018 — Have you ever asked yourself what the contracting functional community actually does on a day-to-day basis? As a program manager in a previous assignment, I often found myself searching for the answer to this question. Coming from both a different career field and major command, I have been given the opportunity to broaden my career at the 628th... MORE

Education, Leadership and Paying It Back
December 28, 2017 — Last year I wrote a commentary about teamwork, commitment and trust and highlighted a significant point in our nation’s aviation history exemplifying a combination of all three - the Wright Brothers and the first flight. These are not the only components of a successful unit, business or organization. There are a few more I would like to share this... MORE

Are you ready?
December 13, 2017 — As military members, we should have one main goal… to be ready! But, what should we be ready for? The real answer is everything. I’m asking you to consider what you can do personally to help us be ready for anything that comes our way. You accomplish this by taking the time and making the effort to be caught up (or ahead) on all fitness, training... MORE