Commentaries

From the Top - Leading Transformation During Times of Change
April 18, 2011 — Abraham Lincoln once said, "You may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time." As a squadron commander, those words ring true. From joint base initiation, to mission movement execution, to compliance inspection preparation, to budget limitations,... MORE

Lt. Col. Christopher Daniels, 11th Contracting Squadron commander

From the Top - We’re in the Red Zone Now
April 14, 2011 — At the 11th Wing staff meeting this week, I chewed on folks for some basic blocking and tackling kinds of things: OPR/EPR timeliness, delinquent GTC cards, Air Force Assistance Fund participation, and most significantly, Compliance Inspection readiness. My tone and approach apparently caused a bit of a stir. In fact, one of my wingmen came by my... MORE

Back to the Basics - "Diamond Compliance Corner" Apr.15 -Apr. 22
April 14, 2011 — Question: Have you ever said to yourself, "what's the problem with some of these young Airmen/officers today?" But, are we really asking if our military members today have very little or no respect? Each and every new Air Force member enters some form of basic military instruction at one point in their Air Force career. These instructions... MORE

Making Everyday Count
April 14, 2011 — As I go around the base and local areas, I typically ask people how they like it here and what ideas they have to make our community better. I usually get a wide range of answers to my questions from "I love it" to "it is different from my last location." It dawned upon me that no matter where we are, it's important to not only make each day... MORE

11th Wing/ Joint Base Andrews command chief master sergeant

Sexual Assault Awareness Month personal testimony
April 13, 2011 — When I first entered the military, a friend confided in me that she awoke with one of her superiors in her bed. She did not remember what happened the night before, but knew she did not consent to having sex with him. I wanted to be there for her but did not want to break her trust. So I stayed quiet and prayed for her. Then, when the Air Force was... MORE

"Diamond Compliance Corner" - week of Apr. 8 - Apr. 15
April 6, 2011 — Have you ever walked by a female Airman and questioned yourself "Does that hairdo comply with standards?" Many times an Airmen, and especially male Airmen, walk by what is perceived to be a female Airman with non-compliant hair. A majority of the time, because we don't know the standards on women's hair, we do not attempt to correct her because we... MORE

Time Management - Managing YOUR Time
April 6, 2011 — What exactly is "time management?" Depending on whom you ask, you might receive several different definitions. Usually with a subject like time management, the definitions are subjective in nature, catering to a specific individual's personality and preference. That being said, my definition of time management is: the ability to effectively... MORE

"Diamond Compliance Corner" - week of Apr. 1 - Apr. 8
March 30, 2011 — Every time I participate as a member of the First Term Airman Center's first sergeant panel, I ask the first-term Airmen their opinion about what a first sergeant's role is. I always smile when I hear we are the "AFI 36-2903 police." But more often than not, I get answers that include words like, "in-trouble", "scary", and "stay away." Each time, I... MORE

You Can’t Suck at Your Job!
March 29, 2011 — Okay, did I at least get your attention with the title? I hope so because what you're getting ready to read is important, actually, it's critical, for our Air Force to be successful now and in the future. The bottom line - everyone MUST be at the top of their game, with regards to performance, if we're going to continue to be the premier air,... MORE

"Diamond Compliance Corner" - week of Mar. 25 - Apr. 1
March 23, 2011 — It is Saturday afternoon and you are on your way to a cook out at a house on base. Just prior to leaving, you receive a call from another Air Force servicemember asking to ride with you to the cook out. As you pick up your friend, he begins to show off his "bling bling" diamond earrings that he just purchased. You acknowledged the earrings and... MORE