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  • Good, not dumb

    A favorite quote of mine is from “Space Balls,” the 1987 movie parody of “Star Wars.” In it, the villain Dark Helmet, says, “Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.”

  • Silent Warriors

    Memorial Day is upon us and we observe this holiday in honor of the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Both my grandfathers, who have since passed, served in the Korean War and World War II. It is an honor to know that I am able to serve in the capacity I can because of

  • Taking ownership

    I was out for a run with my 5-year-old recently, who was on his bike, when he stopped to pick up a discarded fast food bag. He asked me to carry it until we could find a trash can, and I obliged, of course. As we continued our run/ride, he explained that he wanted to make sure the people on Travis

  • Four priorities of life

    After 22 years of service, I’ve learned a few lessons that help shape who I am, how I approach life, work and what I fall back on when I need a little help figuring out which way to go. We all learn and think differently, but what follows has served me well.I have four basic rules: Work hard, but

  • Life lesson: Don’t forget family

    Like many of you, I am a very proud American and Airman and have always done exactly what has been asked of me through my military career. The U.S. Air Force has given me so much over my 17 years of service that I’ve felt that I owe a debt that I must repay—sometimes blindly.First off, I was

  • Set the example

    I recently worked for a general who often told a leadership story about guiding a group of Airmen across a tarmac during the Gulf War while missiles were incoming. I had the opportunity to hear the story numerous times and was struck that I did not have a similar story of overcoming adversity in a

  • Invisible Leadership

    What do the words “invisible leadership” make you think of? When I think of invisible leadership, I think of leading people even though I don’t know exactly who is following. Similar to referent power, invisible leadership is when you influence followers because of the followers’ loyalty, respect,

  • Trust: The foundation of a high performing organization

    Trust is an intangible characteristic based on a belief that the person, group or organization bestowed with that trust will act in the best interests of those who have faithfully provided it. Trust is the bedrock upon which the Air Force functions.

  • Be the leader we remember

    In my 25 years in the Air Force, I have had the opportunity to work with many types of leaders. The leaders I remember most are the ones who weren’t afraid to make decisions. Many times, I found that people waivered and failed to make a move because it might be unpopular or be an uncomfortable