Commentaries

The spirit of giving
December 3, 2012 — You never know the impact that your gift may have in someone's life. What, to you, may seem like a very small, even insignificant, gift may be a life changing moment for the recipient. For most, it will not be because of the gift itself, but the spirit with which it was given. Many of us live our day to day lives unaware of the difference our small... MORE

Success...It's a state of mind
November 29, 2012 — What is success? I believe success is a state of mind. It is having the determination to keep trying while applying lessons from past failings or experiences. Success is the willingness to pursue your dreams and goals while facing challenges to reach your goals. Take Winston Churchhill for an example: Did you know that he failed sixth grade or that... MORE

Leadership--It's Not about You
November 21, 2012 — The sooner you accept the fact leadership is not about you, the sooner you can focus on your Airmen, the organization and the mission. Leaders who use their positions for their own agenda or personal goals often end up bitter and disappointed. If your goals are to pursue awards, recognition, and outshine your peers, you risk eventually compromising... MORE

Post-surgery exercise: Pain and Gain
November 20, 2012 — Whether it's due to an emergency, or to correct a problem, surgery by natureinterferes with exercise habits. The problem is this: exercise is a keyingredient of pre-surgery preparation, and post-surgery recovery. So how canone combine surgery and exercise? The answer, of course, is very carefully,with the involvement of your health care... MORE

Andrews Community Fund improves morale, readines
October 3, 2012 — One of the benefits of being part of a "military family" is that you know your family always has your back. For many, the Air Force Aid Society has helped them in times of financial strain. But, AFA loans have specific criteria before being approved.What other options are there if an Airmen or Sailor cannot meet that criteria? The Andrews Community... MORE

Get fit with HIIT
October 1, 2012 — Would you like to increase the effectiveness of your cardio or aerobic workouts? Do you sometimes feel like you don't have enough time to do an effective workout? Are you interested in losing weight, increasing your cardio/aerobic endurance, or bulking up? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be interested in "High-Intensity... MORE

Strength in adversity
October 1, 2012 — (October is Suicide Prevention Month. This story on Resiliency, is the third in a series of three dedicated to this cause.)Bad things happen to all of us. Sometimes it is just a minor irritant, but at other times, it is a major hurt. How we deal with these setbacks is the key to our resilience.Resilience is a current buzzword a lot of folks are... MORE

The Nellis Mental Health Resiliency Element opened a new web page designed to be a one-stop shop for information on helping resources Feb. 15.

Step in: Ask, Care, Escort
October 1, 2012 — (October is Suicide Prevention Month. This story on Intervention, is the second in a series of three dedicated to this cause.)By nature, I am not the most observant person. I never notice my wife's change of hair color or style, I am never certain if the outfit is new or not, and I could not tell you the last time the kids took a bath. That last... MORE

Unabashedly seek help
October 1, 2012 — (October is Suicide Prevention Month. This story is the first in a series of three dedicated to this cause.)I am a patriotic American male, a full-fledged member of the profession of arms and I've always considered myself as a completely self-sufficient senior noncommissioned officer. Simply put--tough. Or so I thought!During my last deployment to... MORE

Strength, Resiliency, and Knowing Your People... Key Elements of Suicide Prevention
September 20, 2012 — Suicide prevention is more than training, it's more than a pamphlet; it is about people - our greatest asset. When someone chooses to take their own life, the loss has a great impact on family, friends, and our military mission. For those who've been affected by suicide there are a lot of questions which usually go unanswered: "Why?", "How could... MORE

A culture of change
September 18, 2012 — When I first joined the Air Force, many years ago, most of those who had been in a while had rounded out their bodies as they had rounded out their careers, eventually acquiring a pear shape so common that it was used in most cartoon depictions of Air Force NCOs. Air Force NCOs were viewed as skilled technicians, persons who worked with their hands... MORE

What legacy will you leave behind
September 18, 2012 — From the moment you entered the world, since you inhaled your first breath, spoke your first word, or took your first step, you have been building a legacy you'll leave behind for those who follow after. You may not realize it, most of us don't think that far down the road, but your actions or inactions have led you further down the path toward... MORE

The Adventure of Life
September 11, 2012 — "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing," said Helen Keller. "Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure." I could not agree more! Nevertheless, I have met many people over the years who have thought that religious people of faith live... MORE

Ethical Wills
August 21, 2012 — We all know of the will; a legal document with which we bequeath money and objects to loved ones and organizations upon our death. But, have you ever heard of an ethical will? It is a letter, usually written by parents to their children, in which parents bequeath advice, life lessons, love and hopes about the life they wish their children to... MORE

Taking leave to support the mission
July 31, 2012 — As always, the weeks and months of summer seem to be moving along quite rapidly. As the clock ticks, also comes another season full of folks who are PCS-ing to and from Andrews. Summer reminds us of yet another important season, that of family vacations or depending on your budget, stay-cations (vacations while still at home). If you are like most... MORE

Forgiveness
July 23, 2012 — Forgiveness may be explained in many different ways. I would like to say that forgiveness is letting go of anger, bitterness, resentments, thoughts of revenge and hurt. By embracing forgiveness, we welcome peace and hope. The truth is that nearly everyone has been hurt by the deeds or words of another. These wounds can leave us with lasting... MORE

My job is prosecuting sexual assault
July 23, 2012 — Here's a simple truth...sexual offenders reject our core values of integrity, service and excellence, in favor of following their own base, undisciplined, criminal desires. Most sexual assaults committed by Airmen are "blue on blue," or Airmen victimizing other Airmen. So in addition to rejecting our core values, these undisciplined Airmen reject... MORE

Leaders: Adapt or weaken
June 20, 2012 — As a commander, every day I speak to people about their work, their lives, what's good and what's not so good. Recently, with all the talk surrounding budget cuts and doing more with less, one thing is clear, we need to adapt or accept weakening of our leadership effectiveness.Time and time again I hear concerns from leaders [at all levels] about... MORE

Importance of 'Flag Day'
June 14, 2012 — Each year, Americans can enjoy four special days set aside specifically to honor our veterans and comrades in arms. Sadly, too many of us often overlook these opportunities to pay our respect and recognize the sacrifice and service of these individuals. These four days are intended to, in some small way, express the sentiments of a grateful nation... MORE

Don't just show up
June 8, 2012 — As I exit the ranks of our active duty military, I want to encourage each of you to run your race with precision, dedication and unbridled passion. The bottom line is that life is not a dry run and you only get one chance to have a lasting impact. Our nation demands that each one of you who serve in uniform or civilian attire in the defense of our... MORE

Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Brinkley, 11th Wing/Joint Base Andrews command chief, delivers his remarks during his retirement ceremony June 8, 2012. Brinkley served more than 28 years in the Air Force, many of which were as a First Sergeant. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Torey Griffith)

It's not like I'm Captain Planet or anything
March 28, 2012 — I stopped to pick up a candy wrapper, one sunny afternoon in the park. No big deal, it's not like I'm Captain Planet or anything. Just picked up some trash.Then I saw a discarded straw.And a piece of paper.I picked them up and tossed them in a nearby bin. My middle daughter, who is thoughtful and wise beyond her 6 years, saw me and stopped playing... MORE

"Recycling is an excellent way to get the most out of our resources, keep our surroundings clean and enjoyable and avoid putting tons of garbage into the ground at landfills," said Senior Airman Torey Griffith

How I Bounced Back
March 2, 2012 — "The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It's the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun." - Napoleon HillOne Andrews Airman has much in common with that struggling oak tree. Contrary to logic,... MORE

Stay Resilient to Save a Life
February 9, 2012 — I still remember every detail of that night. The clock on my night stand read 10:04. I had taken over as the public affairs on-call photographer that afternoon and the alert cell phone was charging on the floor next to my bed. My feet had just slid under the covers when my personal cell phone started ringing and the name of one of my coworkers... MORE

More than a bun
February 3, 2012 — During my junior year at Virginia Tech, an Air Force lieutenant colonel gave me his personal expectation of females in his military. He said to me, "Our female Airmen are examples of every military member. With their hair perfectly pinned back, without a single strand of it misplaced, they showcase our military with each step they take."While I... MORE

Air Force Instruction 36-2903 provides female Airmen with the Air Force’s regulations and standards concerning hair buns, length and color. Consult your AFI if you have any questions regarding the Air Force’s grooming standards and policies. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nichelle Anderson)

Of Dukes, Dodges and Resiliency
January 26, 2012 — Sometimes I feel like a character from the 80's TV show "The Dukes of Hazzard." A devilishly-handsome, Dodge-driving victim of circumstance and bad luck who, through no fault of my own, keeps getting thrown into unbelievable predicaments where there seems to be no escape. The Boss Hoggs, Roscoes and random evil-doing strangers always seem to get... MORE

To strengthen force resilience, Air Force civilians and family members, AMC launched Comprehensive Airman Fitness July 1 as a new approach to taking care of oneself and others.

Commentary Search

Joint Base Andrews Commentaries