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  • Lessons learned in Honor Guard

    Being an honor guardsman is a personal experience. To speak of it truly does it no justice. What the audience sees is different from what the individual team members experience.I believe the behind-the-scenes moments of any task are often the most interesting because that's where the audience sees

  • Stop poisoning well with how things were

    At a recent professional enhancement seminar, enlisted leaders were asked to relay concerns to both our new installation commander and our command chief. Each of these Airmen had valid questions, most of which revolved around financial and staffing constraints and some were concerned about Travis

  • CR Airmen 'bring order to the chaos'

    When I tell people I am part of the 570th Global Mobility Squadron here at Travis the usual question is, "What aircraft do you all fly?" The GMS is not a flying squadron, but rather it is part of Air Mobility Command's Contingency Response Force.  CR provides "first responder" forces at locations

  • Leading by example to make lasting impression

    Someone's watching you. There is an Airman in your department, work center, unit who is modeling your behavior. They are watching you to learn how to be a better Airman, a better leader, a better technician. At my first duty station in Wiesbaden, Germany, I clearly recall modeling myself after

  • Daily responsibilities require our focus

    Recently, as I contemplated a bullet for an Airman's quarterly award, I read the back of my oldest son's shirt.On his yellowish green T-shirt, it had John Muir's most oft-quoted thought: "The mountains are calling and I must go." These words immediately struck a chord with me.  In part, it made me

  • Managing change can make transitions smooth

    "The only constant is change." How many times have we heard that?No matter what your organization's management structure, there will be change. Change in processes, environment and, most importantly, people.For an organization to continue to be successful, change must be anticipated, planned for

  • Grandma: 'Cain't never could do nothin''

    Southern language foreword: The word "cain't" is a cross between the standard English contraction "can't" (can not) and the nonstandard English contraction "ain't" (am not).I tell people all the time, I'm an American by birth and a southerner by the grace of God.  Let me be the first to inform you

  • Air Force can give Airmen many opportunities

    St. John's is the capital and largest city on the island of Newfoundland and Labrador and is a common refueling stop for Air Mobility Command aircraft. If any of you have ever had the good fortune of traveling to St John's, you may agree with me that it's one of the most beautiful places in North

  • Counsel makes caring for Airmen priority

    In my previous assignment as the chief judge of the Air Force's Western Judicial Region, I would stress to our newest judges the importance of respect in the courtroom - respect for the law, respect for the counsel, respect for the parties, both the Air Force and the accused, and perhaps most

  • Leaders can unleash greatness of Airmen

    As Airmen, we are all part of an elite fraternity of warriors who hail from an extremely small and often disadvantaged demographic in society.Despite that distinct lineage, each member on our team possesses a level of personal greatness that is the lynchpin to our collective success as a fighting