Commentaries

Are we preparing next generation of Air Force leaders?
April 8, 2010 — In an article for this forum about a year ago I wrote, "The ultimate goal of all leaders should be to grow their replacements. We should be training our followers to be at least as good a leader, preferably a better leader, than we are now." I learned this from my first squadron commander, who was an outstanding leader and mentor. He was always... MORE

Are we preparing the next generation of Air Force leaders?
April 7, 2010 — In an article for this forum about a year ago I wrote, "The ultimate goal of all leaders should be to grow their replacements. We should be training our followers to be at least as good a leader, preferably a better leader, than we are now." I learned this from my first squadron commander, who was an outstanding leader and mentor. He was always... MORE

Are you a warrior Airman?
March 26, 2010 — A warrior you say? You may be thinking, "I am not a Soldier or a Marine." You are right, we are Airmen, and we are all warriors. Just because we don't all shoot guns at bad guys or drop bombs on targets does not mean we aren't warriors. Webster's Dictionary defines a warrior as, "a person engaged or experienced in warfare." In our military, today... MORE

Drug use ends Airman's career
March 26, 2010 — Last week, a serious message was sent to all Airmen at Andrews that illegal drug use in the Air Force is simply not tolerated and will be punished. On March 2, Senior Airman Jacob Marshall, a 316th Security Forces Squadron member, was convicted in a court martial of two counts of drug use.Airman Marshall was identified by the Andrews Air Force Base... MORE

The cost of a DUI
March 19, 2010 — One night, I attended a party at a friend's house. After having what I thought was a couple of drinks, I decided to drive home. More than half way home, I sped up to make a yellow light and the police pulled me over. I thought that I was fine getting through the sobriety test, and I was until the very last part. They told me to say a part of the... MORE

Tobacco and your oral health
March 19, 2010 — It is well known that tobacco is highly addictive and can cause serious diseases such as cancer, lung conditions (including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, chronic bronchitis and asthma), high blood pressure, and heart disease. According to the National Cancer Institute, cigarette smoke is the leading preventable cause of death in the United... MORE

Naval Air Facility Washington's history at Andrews
March 12, 2010 — Navy and Air Force servicemembers have served together at Andrews for more than 50 years. While we serve every day together on this base and jointly cooperate for operational successes, I know that many Airmen and Sailors are not familiar with the background of the Navy's presence alongside our Air Force partners at this installation. To be sure,... MORE

I am not alone
March 4, 2010 — Recently at work, I thought I was having a heart attack. My head was hurting and my left shoulder was aching. In addition, I had a horrible pain in the center of my chest. Since these are symptoms for women having a heart attack, my supervisor and co-workers came to my aid and took me straight to the emergency department. Not only was I given... MORE

George Washington as a military leader
February 25, 2010 — The example set by George Washington during his military career validates an argument Gen. Maxwell Taylor, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made in his article, "Military Leadership: What Is It? Can It Be Taught?" He provides four categories: professional competence, intellectual capacity, strength of character and inspirational... MORE

Mentorship grooms Airmen into leaders
February 20, 2010 — Recently, our squadron completed a unit climate assessment. While most aspects of the assessment were positive, I noted that a few of the younger Airmen in the squadron felt they had no clearly defined "mentor" available to them. The operations tempo in our squadron is extremely demanding and volatile, but the men and women of the mighty 99th... MORE