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COMMENTARIES

  • Water safety learned the hard way

    On Nov. 1, 2008, I was enjoying an unseasonably warm day at the Heber Springs., Ark., reservoir with my family and friends. The water temp was still in the upper 70s, so it was a great day to be on the lake. We started the day with some boating on the pontoon boat, with our friends riding on their

  • Imagine

    Just imagine you are in a different country, with different laws and customs. You are with a group, out late at night. Collectively you decide to go to an all-hours club across the street from your hotel. In order to reach your destination you have to cross a wide, six-lane roadway. There are

  • Five minutes to impact

    It was March 12 -- a day after Secretary of Defense Robert Gates visited my deployed base here and spoke to the hundreds of servicemembers of my wing and base units.I took a look at my watch and it read 5:55 p.m. plus a few seconds. We had five minutes to the start of our weekly wing retreat

  • Family experiences DePLAYment during deployment and reintegration

    No amount of patriotism can overcome the stress that deployments bring. I don't look forward to leaving my spouse and children for deployment; I'm sure you are no different.August 18, 2009, my family dropped me off at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. I was on my way to the Horn of Africa for

  • A deployed Air Force 'birthday'

    On Feb. 18, 1992, I stepped on a plane in Milwaukee, Wisc., and flew to San Antonio, Texas, with thoughts running through my mind telling me, "What did you just get yourself into?" I'm sure every other new Airman headed there has the same thoughts. It's especially confirmed when you get to the

  • Driving safety starts with leadership from the bottom

    The Air Force lost 49 Airmen in fatal vehicle accidents in Fiscal Year 2009, and 20 of these were on motorcycles - this is unacceptable. These 49 deaths are the highest since 2004, and nearly eight times the total number of Airmen killed in aviation accidents in the same period. Conventional wisdom

  • Airman finds inspiration in strength of evacuees' children

    When I first heard the news of the earthquake in Haiti, I wanted to be able to do something. I wished I could go but knew the 621st Contingency Response Wing was the only unit deploying to Haiti for an extended period from this base. Besides, they can't send a pregnant woman for the obvious health

  • Deployed Christmas wishes and a time for thanks

    It's 5:30 a.m. on a Christmas morning and I'm waiting for a flight that will take me through Afghanistan and then over to my deployed location in Southwest Asia. I can't help but think, "Is this a great way to spend Christmas?" My answer to myself is simple -- "It depends." I say it depends because

  • Thank those who 'generate' you this holiday

    Recently, I heard our Eighteenth Air Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Allardice verbalize an insight to our Airman culture in such a meaningful way that I'm compelled to share it with you. I do this with the hope it will inspire you in the same way it has inspired me. The metaphor is based on our