Commentaries

Leadership wisdom from a shirt’s perspective
January 18, 2019 — First, I want to give a big shout out to a first sergeant mentor of mine, Senior Master Sgt. Thomas, for sharing this with me. This message is very powerful and was too good not to share with other Airman. So sit back, relax and grab a coffee as this won’t be a short read—nor should it be. Leadership is defined as “the art of influencing and directing people to accomplish the mission.” We all have our ways of leading and developing others and there is no one right way of doing so. You cannot be the same style of leader for every Airman. You can quickly burn bridges and crush your relationship with Airmen if you take a cookie-cutter approach to leadership... MORE

Master Sgt. Scott Salamone - 628th Comptroller Squadron and Wing Staff Agencies first sergeant

Opportunity, meaning, extraordinary people
July 27, 2018 — My family and I are thrilled to be back in the Lowcountry as part of the 437th Airlift Wing. As a way of introducing myself to those reading this, I think it is helpful to reflect on what first attracted me to the Air Force and explain why I have stayed on active duty for more than 20 years. I hope my reasoning will resonate with a majority. ... MORE

Col. Clint ZumBrunnen, 437th Airlift Wing commander

Fix your own car
June 16, 2017 — Preparing your automobile for summertime road trips doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think. We all like saving money and driving a reliable car. Often these circumstances don’t coincide. Luckily, Joint Base Charleston has an answer for this dilemma. Located on the JB Charleston-Weapon Station, just off Redbank Road, is the Auto Skills Center... MORE

Jason Allston, Auto Skills Center sales clerk, retrieves a tool for a customer in the ASC at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. June 15, 2017. The ASC has 12 bays, nine with lifts, two flat bays and one motorcycle bay. Their rates are $5 per hour for the flat bays and $8 per hour for the lift bays.

JB Charleston coworkers feeling the heat
March 1, 2017 — This past Presidents Day I watched from the entrance of my garage while my wife and son drove away to a doctor’s appointment. As I turned back to finish the project I had been working on, my Mom, who was visiting for the weekend, called out, “Ethan is getting out and running back. He must have forgotten something.” Then I heard him shouting,... MORE

Making memories of a lifetime
January 18, 2017 — I recently celebrated my 30-year anniversary in the United States Navy. It doesn’t seem that long ago when I reported to my first duty station and started this journey. Over the past couple months I took some time to reflect on my service and how it shaped my life. Of course there’s been a lot of moves, deployments and new learning experiences... MORE

Proud Heritage of Commander’s Coin
January 18, 2017 — Our profession of arms has a rich history of symbolism, from our rank insignia, to our badges, to individual medals and decorations. That symbolism is sometimes at its most creative in unit and commander coins. What many may not realize, however, is just how integrated with our military history military coins are.In recent decades, coins have... MORE