Commentaries

High tech, low level, close call
January 26, 2011 — There I was...flying a mighty C-17 at 400 miles per hour, 500 feet above a canyon floor in the Colorado backcountry. It doesn't get any more awesome than that. Mountains rose up on both sides of our flight path as we hid our aircraft from a simulated adversary among the high terrain. My crew was highly experienced and we were executing well. About... MORE

Chairman's Corner: Military professionalism and ethics
January 26, 2011 — I had the privilege to speak last week at the National Defense University's Conference on Military Professionalism - a forum I called for in order to discuss what the military is, what it has become, and what it should be. I view this not as merely a one-day event, but the beginning of an ongoing dialogue. The time for these conversations is now, I... MORE

Are you staying in? If not...
January 19, 2011 — Are you coming to the end of your enlistment? Are you considering separation, retirement or reenlisting? Are you not sure about your benefits? Well, the Career Advisor and Airman and Family Readiness Center provides classes just for you. The following are the different classes that can help you make a better decision:Informed Decision Briefing: The... MORE

The Gig Line
January 19, 2011 — As a new member of the family here at Joint Base Charleston-Weapons Station and having been asked to do some writing for the local paper, I feel it is the proper time to share my most recent "uniform" story. I was previously attached to a command where uniforms were not worn due to the type of duty and working conditions. During my tour, a new Navy... MORE

Airman from 628th Medical Group reflects on tour of duty
January 19, 2011 — I deployed to Kunar Province, Afghanistan as a Combat Stress Technician, and was assigned with the Army's 4th Brigade Combat Team from Dec. 2009 to June 2010. I routinely traveled to several combat outposts, firebases and observation posts from my home base. Assigned to a mental health officer as my supervisor, we made it our mission to be readily... MORE

Suicide- an intervention, that's all it takes to save one's life
January 19, 2011 — In January of 2009, more soldiers committed suicide than those killed by enemy fire in Afghanistan and Iraq combined. That statistic shocked me into writing on the subject.More than 1 million people commit suicide every year throughout the United States. Here in South Carolina, suicide is the second leading cause of all violent deaths.It's... MORE

Diamond Tip
January 19, 2011 — Have you ever heard the term "good enough for government work"? How does that make you feel? If you are anything like me then it should make you feel less than adequate. We didn't become the greatest Air Force in the world by living up to the "good enough for government work" standard. Last time I checked we still have "Excellence In All We Do" as... MORE

Deployed Commander's comments
January 13, 2011 — Roughly every 15 minutes, a C-17 or KC-135 from the 385th Air Expeditionary Group, departs for airfields and forward operating bases in the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility, laden with cargo and fuel in support of Operations New Dawn and Enduring Freedom. The 385th is headquartered at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, with missions operated... MORE

Navy career notes
January 12, 2011 — Get credit for the work you've done! At some point, all of us will leave the military and make the transition back to the civilian world. But, before you leave the service, make sure your resume is ready to be presented to civilian employers. A free service the Department of Defense provides to help get this done is the Verification of Military... MORE

CNO: A day on, not a day off
January 11, 2011 — The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., national day of observance is Jan. 17. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., day was established by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, and the first official observance was held Jan. 15, 1986, the anniversary of Dr. King's birthday. In 1992, President George H. W. Bush proclaimed the federal holiday would be observed on the... MORE