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COMMENTARIES

  • Freedom...at 24,000 feet

    Our air refueling mission bore the call sign "DUCE 01." It was printed in capital letters written with a red marker on a dry-erase board in the planning room for the 2nd Air Refueling Squadron. It was 3:47 p.m. on April 9. I sat in the room with seven aircrew members from the 2nd ARS as they went

  • Diamonds are an Airman's best friend

    Air Force Instruction 36-2113 defines the role of a first sergeant as "... an expeditionary leader serving in a time honored special duty position ..." During my 20 years of service, I've had countless first sergeants and I thought I understood what their job entailed. On Aug. 1, I was selected to

  • To know and do your job

    When I took command last summer of the 17th Airlift Squadron, the first operational C-17 squadron in the world, I put the 144 members under my command on notice for my expectations of them: "To know and do your job." Very simple words with deep, resounding meaning; this phrase is the model for my

  • 618th TACC International Clearances Branch puts 'Global' in Global Reach

    What can bring an air mobility mission to a screeching halt? Bad weather ... maybe. A maintenance problem with the aircraft ... maybe. And, there's not much you can do about weather or mechanical problems; you deal with them as they happen.But, what about permission from other governments to either

  • Honoring our veterans - past, present and future

    Each Veteran's Day, Americans have the opportunity to reflect upon and honor the sacrifices of noble men and women who have served in defense of our great nation and its freedoms. We also take this time to express our deepest gratitude for those serving today. Through daily mission accomplishments,

  • Taking energy conservation and environmental cleanup to the next level

    Over the last 25 years, the Air Force has devoted a lot of effort and resources to clean up soil and groundwater contamination from past industrial activities. Although the Environmental Protection Agency has overseen and supported this cleanup work and other cleanup projects across the country, it

  • What it takes to build, deliver a C-17 Globemaster III

    November 19, 2007, started like any other day, but turned out to be very special. That day marked the start of assembly of the 194th C-17 Globemaster III (dubbed "F-194") at the Boeing Long Beach plant in Southern California. The C-17 is assembled at the Long Beach plant, and 10 aircraft are in

  • Your Image in the Mirror

    One of the distinct privileges that most servicemen and women will have during their Air Force careers is the opportunity to live abroad and be immersed in a foreign culture. Many Airmen will PCS to an overseas location while others will only be able to visit these locations while TDY. Regardless

  • What's important to you?

    If you've ever gotten so caught up in the routines of daily business you found difficulty carving out time for your family or spiritual life, know you are not alone. If you've ever been pulled away from a family dinner, missed a birthday or not made it to church as a result of your pursuit of

  • Present for duty

    America is in a constant state of change. Every two years, the governing power can shift in one direction or another. But sadly, only about half the eligible voters in the country determine the course of their local, state and national government. We who wear the cloth of the nation know that our