Commentaries

Making it to the top
February 16, 2011 — Have you ever wondered what it takes to make the rank of E-8 and E-9? Are you currently doing the right things required to make these ranks? Have you found a mentor to help you out? If your goal is to become a senior master sergeant or chief master sergeant, then you need to start working on this when you are a senior airman or staff sergeant. It's... MORE

MCPON message to the fleet: no second chances for drug abuse
February 16, 2011 — "Shipmates, There has been an alarming rise in the number of Sailors who are choosing to use 'Spice,' herbal products and other so-called designer drugs; and this must come to an immediate stop. More than 150 Sailors are currently being processed for 'Spice' use, possession or distribution, and this is UNSAT. Overall, the Navy has separated 1,374... MORE

Diamond Tips: Physical training testing does matter
February 16, 2011 — Do you know when you're scheduled for your next PT test? Do you know how failing this test can affect your career? Are you prepared to test right now? Answer no to any of these questions and you may be headed for a world of hurt. AFI 36-2905, Fitness Program states in the Commander's Intent that "it is every Airman's responsibility to maintain... MORE

Prepare for March exams
February 16, 2011 — With the March Navy-wide advancement exam cycle quickly approaching, hopefully you have been diligently preparing for the big day. But, for those of you who choose to procrastinate, here are some tips from the Navy Advancement Center for preparing for the exam.The first thing you should do is download your bibliography from the NAC website (there... MORE

Wingman's Day focuses on resiliency
February 16, 2011 — Friday is Wingman Day; A day when units across Joint Base Charleston stop what they are doing to take a well-needed break from their everyday routines and focus on what is truly important in this life: each other. During the course of today, you're going to hear a lot about resiliency. We all know what it means to be resilient; to have the ability... MORE

Roll back program
February 10, 2011 — The Air Force is currently at a 16-year all-time high retention rate. Congress has informed our leaders they need to get the Air Force down to our authorized numbers. To help with this reduction, Air Force Personnel Center has released the Fiscal Year 2011 Roll Back Program. The program not only affects our enlisted force, but also our officers... MORE

Are you prepared for WAPS testing?
February 9, 2011 — The promotion testing cycle to Technical Sergeant and Master Sergeant is well underway at Joint Base Charleston. February and March test dates were assigned to Airmen eligible for promotion with results projected for release in June. I wonder how many of our Airmen are adequately prepared to test and will score high enough to be promoted. I'm... MORE

Chief Master Sgt. Terrence Greene, 437th Airlift Wing command chief

Diamond Tip
February 8, 2011 — Deployment is hard for all of us. There are so many things that have to be addressed, from how the bills are going to be paid to who is going to help our family if they need it. Of course we have supervisors and the Key Spouse Program to check on families of deployed Airmen, but for some military members, it is much more of a concern. The Family... MORE

Trust: The foundation of who we are
February 8, 2011 — Standing for hundreds of years as a symbol of strength and resolve, the Great Wall of China extends for a formidable 3,948 miles as the world's longest man-made structure. That's pretty impressive, but what does the Great Wall of China have to do with trust and the United States Air Force?It all comes down to the foundation. In the 5th century BC,... MORE

Gen. Raymond Johns, Air Mobility Command commander

What’s in a pushup?
February 8, 2011 — A straightforward uncomplicated exercise, the push-up; simple, precise and pretty easy if you only do a few. It is a component of the Air Force's Physical Fitness Assessment for Airmen serving at home and deployed throughout the globe. At first glance it's hardly subject matter worthy of an article in the base paper. But what if, upon further... MORE