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  • Thanks to force's unsung heroes

    For more than 17 years, I have had a better half and partner I don't deserve. My father, speaking in football terms, would frequently tell me, "Joe, you've outkicked your coverage." When I reflect on the successes of my Air Force career and those of my family, the one common thread for this success

  • Healthy support crucial part of resilience

    When citing leadership traits, we commonly list values or characteristics such as integrity, honor, excellence or strength. However, one characteristic becomes more and more prevalent as our Airmen return from multiple overseas deployments and deal with the pressures of a changing military

  • Retiree's speech puts resilience in context

    In the past few years, there has been a lot of talk about resiliency and developing a wingman culture. Often, they tend to become just words, overused or even used out of context. But occasionally, you come across something that leaves you saying, "That's it." A recent experience surrounding a

  • Lessons learned on path to chief master sergeant

    Have you ever gone shopping without a list? What typically happens is you'll get everything but the main items you originally went shopping for. Setting goals is as easy as creating a shopping or a to-do list. Ultimately, you should have a goal for every aspect of your life, career, education,

  • What is the cost of safety?

    As we ride full speed ahead through sequestration and continuing resolutions, our leaders are making many tough decisions on where and how to spend money with tighter budgets. The conversations about tiered temporary duties and mission-critical items have continually led me to ask the same question:

  • Win the Game

    During the recent March madness college basketball tournament, a 20-year old young man severely injured himself with a compound fracture of his lower leg. Just moments after the injury, a comrade turned, realized what happened to his friend and immediately collapsed to the floor. Another friend

  • Building network helps on path to making chief

    As a young Airmen, do you have your sights targeted on chief master sergeant? I am very pleased to personally know several Travis Airmen who are focused on hitting that target. This afternoon, the members of Airmen Committed to Excellence here at Travis will take direct aim at all the chief master

  • Mentoring, not one size fits all objective

    In the Air Force, we often mentor others by listing a prescribed set of career objectives and the steps needed to achieve each level. It feels like a flight readiness checklist: technical school Check. Community College of the Air Force? Check. Bachelor's degree? Check. Master's degree? Check.

  • Visit to Google inspires creativity

    The Travis Public Affairs office recently took a trip to the Googleplex, Google's corporate headquarters, in Mountain View. As we approached Google's campus, my first impression was of numerous employees riding around on bicycles painted in the company's colors. Some employees were in workout

  • True Leaders: Remembering General Schwarzkopf

    "It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle."  - Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf.Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, 78, died Dec. 27, 2012, in Tampa, Fla. Throughout the last weeks of December, the horrific school shootings in Newtown, Conn.,