Commentaries

What is your motivation?
August 17, 2009 — Aug. 16 was a banner day in my life. This day culminated more than 21 years of college. Throughout my career there have been countless supervisors, commanders and friends who have told me to "get my school finished now; don't wait until the end of your career." Advice, until last year, I chose to ignore, and today, advice which I recommend you... MORE

Step back, re-evaluate: What can I do to fix this?
August 17, 2009 — Too often we fall into the habit of doing things the way we have always done them. Every once in a while it's important to step back from the process and re-evaluate what we do, how we do it and why we do it. It's so easy to maintain the status quo. Without periodic re-evaluation, we might just miss out on some great opportunities to do our jobs... MORE

Commander's Comments
August 13, 2009 — This past week I was on leave in California and Washington. I mention my leave because each of you needs to focus on your own leave and make it happen. Sometimes our leave, and certainly mine, isn't easy to take. Plane tickets, rental cars, hotels, dividing time between family, friends and personal relaxation can make leave a hectic time -- even... MORE

Col. John Wood visits with Charleston Airmen at the passenger terminal Aug. 13. Col. Wood is the 437th Airlift Wing commander.

The only two safe addictions
August 12, 2009 — Last week, I met up with a group of friends for a casual dinner on the town. After the usual discussion of what movies we had seen recently or new places we had discovered to eat, the dinner conversation turned to the inevitable topic of work. As all dinner guests were members of the Air Force, I brought up the newly released master sergeant... MORE

See how far you can go today
August 12, 2009 — Anyone who knows me knows I am a runner. I've been running for 10 years and have done everything from a 5K to a marathon. During my thousands of miles, I've had a few epiphanies; moments in time when things seem clear. I've realized that marathon training and a successful Air Force career have a lot in common. They take hard work, dedication and... MORE

Goals: The secret to success
August 11, 2009 — The most common aspect of any successful organization or person is a shared vision or goal. Top business leaders and professional athletes alike use short- and long-term goals to motivate themselves. This mindset can be seen Air Force wide from our Air and Space Doctrine, to the goals of our squadron commanders. The importance of goal setting is it... MORE

The 'happy' medium between OPSEC and social networking: Can it be achieved?
August 4, 2009 — I can recall sitting in my office at Kelly AFB, Texas, when I first realized e-mail was going to revolutionize our way of doing business. I remember thinking to myself, "Wow, I just got an e-mail from a two-star general congratulating me on my promotion to lieutenant colonel." In the olden days, I would have received a third-generation memo on... MORE

Commander's Comments
July 30, 2009 — There are days all of us have in our careers that are special, rewarding or sometimes just plain fun. These times will define our service and be the stories we tell again and again, long after the moment is over. Our fast paced operations seldom lend time to relax and enjoy these moments to their fullest. I challenge you to recognize these moments,... MORE

Members of the 437th Aerial Port Squadron participated in Rodeo 2009, held at McChord AFB, Wash., July 19 through 24.

Putting life in perspective 6,000 miles from home
July 29, 2009 — What's the most important statistic of this war? Bombs dropped? Sorties flown? Territory secured? I'd argue the most important number of this war as of mid-July is this: 5,059. Unfortunately, this number is not static. It grows every day. It's the number of American service men and women killed in Iraq and Afghanistan since the commencement of... MORE

Guidelines to follow when using the GTC
July 29, 2009 — Have you ever been on a trip and attempted to use your personal credit card, but were unable to because of unknown reasons? Well I have and it's not a pleasant experience. It may have been an honest mistake or it could have happened for not abiding with the bank's credit card policy. Many of us meticulously plan our trips down to the penny,... MORE