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COMMENTARIES

  • Everything happens for a reason

    I have thought long and hard about how to use my "350 words or less" for this commentary. I read through many of the commentaries from years passed to ensure I not reiterate what others have said. I perused through my saved computer files of things I found interesting in hopes that it would spark

  • The day autism was made into a fool

    It was April 1, also known as "April Fool's Day," and I saw a 14-year-old boy make autism into a fool.The 14-year-old is my son Jackson. On April 1, 2011, he was competing in the Chicago area as an Illinois state finalist for the National Geography Bee representing the entire Mascoutah, Ill., School

  • All in: living, training, operating in joint environments

    I recently watched Airmen from Travis Air Force Base (Calif.) and Soldiers from Joint Base Langley-Eustis (Va.) train in their expeditionary mission during Exercise Eagle Flag, a Headquarters Air Force-sponsored exercise, held here at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Not only was I impressed with

  • Significant dates are reason to raise situational awareness

    Terrorists do not wear identification badges or uniforms and you cannot pick them out by appearance. By paying attention to your surroundings and taking note of unusual or out-of-place behavior and reporting it, you may help frustrate an attack.Terrorists often pick meaningful dates to schedule

  • Focus equally on working out and eating right

    As the flight chief of nutritional medicine, I am often asked questions relating to weight loss, healthy diets, fad diets and general nutrition. Additionally, as the unit fitness program monitor for my squadron, I also receive many questions related to fitness. It's a natural fit, nutrition and

  • Lessons from each assignment

    As I come to the end of 30 years in the Air Force, I find myself looking back. Like every member of the military, there have been good and bad aspects of every assignment. I want to focus on the positive lessons I learned from each assignment.I was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Fla., where warm

  • Feedback a 'positive and effective way of helping individuals in your unit'

    Feedback is a means to help an individual improve or to reinforce an individual for doing well. It is not always easy to administer, though it is essential in maintaining a healthy organization and good unit morale. There is much to consider before critiquing someone. To whom are you giving the

  • Joining the Air Force: Something to be proud of

    One of the worst experiences in my life brought me to one of the best decisions I have ever made -- to join the Air Force. After graduating high school in 2007, some would have called me a gypsy, drifter or some other transient as I bounced around from one friend's home to the next while working

  • The gingerbread house experiment in leadership

    The first job of a leader is to build more leaders. To live, learn, and pass it on. These are just a few sayings that highlight the importance of each of our roles as leaders. All people do it. Certainly at different levels, but all people do it. Nowhere is it more prevalent in my mind than in the

  • Emotional awareness is key to positive state of mind

    Everyone goes through rough patches in their lives when things seem to never go their way. They beat themselves up about every issue and many think they will never get through it. This can lead many people into a state of depression and leave them feeling worthless with a low self-esteem.Issues like