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COMMENTARIES

  • It's not the desk that matters

    "Golembeski!" he bellowed. He didn't say my name right, but I heard him loud and clear, and I knew who he was talking to. Still, I looked down and stepped backwards, positioning myself so that a fellow Airman was between me and the owner of the thundering voice."Golembeski," he repeated loudly,

  • The power of personality

    Are you a positive person with a positive attitude, one that others enjoy when you are around? If not, you could very well be placing yourself at a disadvantage across many spectrums. It doesn't matter if you're in the military or not, if you seclude yourself from others, you can easily be perceived

  • Shape your life with values

    Take a minute and reminisce back to the day when you first put on your military uniform. For many it was probably basic training, Reserve Officer Training Corps or the Air Force Academy. Can you recall the sense of pride you felt at the time? As I often recall, it was a feeling of pride, honor,

  • Push yourself to the max!

    At 6 a.m. Sept. 23, Lt. Col. Patrick Castle lined up on the James Gym track for his 1 1/2-mile run portion of the Air Force's annual fitness test, having just completed a marathon 11 days previously. Normally this is the time period for athletes to recover and slowly rebuild their muscles, not push

  • One Airman at a time

    Have you ever had a supervisor that seemed to do all the right things? One that was caring and compassionate yet firm when it came to the standards? Highly involved in your career and genuinely concerned for your well being? Decisive and accountable? The example for all? How about a supervisor that

  • Phoenix Stripe helps prepare our future mobility leaders

    Every year, approximately 90 junior NCOs, including Guard and Reserve, mid-level government civilians, and at least one staff sergeant or technical sergeant from each of our other major commands participate in a conference known as Phoenix Stripe. This group learns about Air Mobility Command with a

  • Mention the word

    Mention the word "deployment" to any military member or their family and there is a knowing look that crosses their faces. It is a look of resolution mixed with sadness and empathy. It's the "I've been there, done that" look. Deployments are difficult. They strain the military members and their

  • Why patriotism matters

    The sun glistened off of Sunday Lake in my hometown of Wakefield, Mich., as I sat there in my 30-year-old, 14-foot aluminum boat and watched my 12-year-old granddaughter Lyla Gale carefully cast a fishing line next to a weed bed."How's my casting Grampa?" Lyla asked me."Perfect," I replied, thinking

  • Do the right thing -- even when nobody is watching

    Our decision to serve our great country as Airmen includes a necessary commitment to physical fitness and something I call 'integrity fitness.' Like physical fitness, integrity fitness requires a disciplined exercise of doing the right thing, even when nobody is watching. As a marathoner, rarely

  • Do the American people care about us anymore?

    Do you ever wonder if the American people even care about its military members anymore? Does it really matter that we're working so hard to push aircraft and people and cargo into a country like Afghanistan that doesn't seem to hold the American public's interest anymore?We've been in so many