Commentaries

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