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COMMENTARIES

  • The final nail in the coffin, literally

    Irony abounds -- in the midst of celebrating the Year of the Air Force Family (here at our joint base its the Year of the Military Family), we started off the fiscal year with a sharp spike in vehicle-related fatalities. A sad note on so many levels ...This trend, which is being widely addressed,

  • Military family memories pressed together in a dining room table

    Its biggest job of the year is to hold the holiday meals that will be placed on it. The 2009 holiday season brings with it the first test of my craftsmanship in constructing something for our dining experience -- our family dining room table.I recently finished building this table from bits and

  • Inspecting our integrity, embracing higher standards

    During my last deployment, I watched as one of our chief master sergeants performed an inspection of the security forces morning guard mount. As I watched him move from Airman to Airman, I was reminded that the rite of inspecting the troops is a very old military ceremony. This ancient ceremony has

  • Living among patriots

    Every place I live I try to make sure I have an American flag, with no rips or tears, properly displayed in the front of my home. It's not because I'm overly patriotic, it's because I'm so thankful that I live in the United States and that I have the privilege of serving as an Air Force Airman. The

  • Life is too short; don't let it go up in smoke

    My uncle died April 30 from lung and brain cancer, most likely caused by smoking for 50 years. He was diagnosed with cancer less than three months ago.Likewise, my father died from lung cancer in 2004 after more than 50 years of smoking. His diagnosis came about eight months prior to his death.As

  • Unsung heroes

    Irena Sendler, a 5-foot pistol of a woman, defied the Nazi regime and risked her life to save more than 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto. She was a Polish Catholic social worker who smuggled children out of the Ghetto during 1940-42 and into the care of many Christian families, convents,

  • 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,

  • 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