Commentaries

Take a moment for a day of infamy
December 5, 2008 — Pearl Harbor, "Remember the Alamo," 9-11. These are words or phrases that evoke memorable feelings for those who lived during these events or know of the great sacrifices of the men and women who lived or died during these times in American history. I grew up in a military household and one of the terms I heard discussed was Pearl Harbor. I had no... MORE

Blood, Sweat and Thanks
December 5, 2008 — As we pause during Thanksgiving to count the blessings taken for granted, or moreover give of those blessings to others, there lies a virtue that has always impressed me with its power: gratitude for loss, sacrifice and blood. For it is in hardship where thankfulness can forge greatness of character and possibility in a human soul, or in a nation... MORE

To have proudly served an American President
November 23, 2008 — With the recent election of a new president, the team at Air Force One will have a new commander and presidential pilot. I will relinquish command to Col. Scott Turner PAG deputy group commander. He will become the presidential pilot for President-elect Obama.As President Bush's pilot I have seen history being made from my perch up in the cockpit... MORE

Moral courage at all levels
November 14, 2008 — All Airmen attend leadership courses, seminars, and commander's calls stressing core values and promoting respect and loyalty. An important lesson often filtered out of these discussions is "moral courage", which is simply defined as "doing the right thing" in difficult situations ... regardless of the consequence to you or your career. You may be... MORE

Airmen role models keystone to mission
November 7, 2008 — In his recent From the Top commentary, the 316th Operations Group first sergeant, Master Sgt. Anthony Berman addressed accountability and respect. His statement that accountability and respect save Airmen was spot-on and apropos in today's competitive Air Force environment. While we have a professional responsibility to hold our Airmen accountable... MORE

AFOSI programs promote personnel’s well-being
October 31, 2008 — As the year comes to a close, I had the opportunity to reflect upon what we've done to take care of our people. I pledged from my first day of command to address this critical issue, and since then it has become more than a priority; it has become a principle of our senior leadership. I have traveled to many units over the past couple of years and... MORE

Accountability and respect saves Airmen
October 23, 2008 — Our Air Force is the greatest in the world. It's the greatest because our Air Force invests in its people. We provide education and training that is second to none. It's through PME that we are entrusted with significantly greater responsibilities than that of other countries. However, where much is given much is required. So, as you progress in... MORE

Mentoring is Tough Work
October 16, 2008 — "I don't mind being called tough, because in this racket, it's tough guys who lead the survivors." -- General Curtis E. LeMay "On the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that on other days and other fields will bear the fruits of victory." -- General Douglas MacArthur Great words from two of our greatest leaders. From them, it is clear... MORE

The Stuff Legends Are Made Of
October 9, 2008 — As a young Airman, my first duty station was Yokota AB, Japan. Awesome place ... awesome food ... awesome time! However, the first few months of my assignment seemed to be focused more on the latter - the awesome time. You know how it is, young Airman, first time away from home and in a foreign land. I wanted to experience all that Japan had to... MORE

Service Before Self
October 2, 2008 — Mortar and rocket explosions, heavy machine gun fire, never-ending helicopter activity, aircraft taking off and landing 24 hours a day ... these are just a few of the things I experienced during my short, four and a half month deployment to Iraq. I wasn't tasked to go, but looking back now, almost six months after my return to Andrews, I'm grateful... MORE