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COMMENTARIES

  • Building ‘bridges’ to a brighter future

    I can easily reach back 24 years and recall how exhilarated I was feeling when I was handed my high school diploma during graduation ceremonies at Wakefield (Mich.) High School on May 24, 1987. I also remember the dread I was feeling in knowing that life was about to get tougher.Every year, I'm sure

  • Birdstrike on a Harley

    When the sun finally broke through the clouds here recently, legions of motorcyclists took to the road. The temperature wasn't what anyone would call balmy, so most of them were wearing leathers and decent lids. But this being the Pacific Northwest, I noticed several Darwin Award candidates riding

  • Teamwork, toughness, positive mental attitude: Keys to our nation's demands

    "Tough times don't last. Tough people do," said Fisher DeBerry, one of the Air Force Academy's most memorable football coaches, who used this as a catch phrase to inspire his players to dig deep when the odds were stacked against us or when our team was facing overwhelming challenges. Though we

  • Perspectives on leadership: Comprehensive Airman Fitness -- Daring to care

    Air Mobility Command recently called up hundreds of Guard, Reserve and active duty Airmen to support Operations Odyssey Dawn and Unified Protector. We gave these Airmen between 4 and 36 hours notice to get on an aircraft and forward deploy. These amazing Airmen answered the call to protect freedom

  • Military mom: Supporting military families year round

    During the Month of the Military Child in April, there were picnics and parades, fairs and festivals in communities across the country -- all to recognize and honor military children for their special contributions to our nation.There is no issue nearer or dearer to my heart than reinforcing to our

  • Achieving greatness through effective decisions

    New commanders traditionally provide their squadrons a road map for organizational success. Most road maps incorporate mission statements and visions to help unit members understand the part they play in the larger team effort. Squadron objectives naturally nestle under group objectives to ensure a

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Do the right thing

    I want to share with you today what I consider to be the essence of being a good leader AND a good follower. It's quite complicated, so please give this your full attention -- do the right thing.That's it. If you do the right thing, you will rarely have a problem. It's been my experience that in