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  • Learning from Gen-X, millennials to embrace change

    As the holiday season begins and the year comes to a close, it is a good time to review the goals we each set in our personal and professional life. What were we looking to accomplish this year and what can we improve on? Did we take care of ourselves and our family members? What about that Airman

  • Veterans Day: You got served

    Good morning, good afternoon, good day. If you’re reading this and serving our country, have served our country or have served as a member of an Airman’s family, I want to thank you for your service. Your service right now is extremely important for our country’s future.

  • Black and yellow represent: commitment, community

    Our profession is often paradoxical. We intimidate, yet we inspire. We deliver combat power to oppose our adversaries, yet also deliver hope to those in despair. I experienced such a paradox on a mission this week.

  • The Airman's responsibility to dissent

    I am nearing the end of my 20-year career with the Air Force. As I prepare to walk proudly away from service to my country, I can’t help but spend a few moments reflecting on my years.

  • It's not about me

    I was raised in Lima, Peru in a household where food was scarce, I shared a bed with three siblings and my grandmother and the clothes were hand-me-downs. I learned to appreciate my family and the little things. Although migrating to America at the age of 10 was one of the smartest moves my family

  • Searching for Private First Class Roberto L. Lopez

    This is a brief and microscopic view of another person’s service.When I started military service in 1993, I was given an artifact with a story behind it. It was a Silver Star in an old, worn case. The story came from his relatives who said it belonged to an uncle, Roberto L. Lopez. The name was

  • Through the eyes of our veterans

    Recently, I had the good fortune to share a meal with a gentleman who had been a prisoner of war as a child during World War II, and went on to serve as an Airman here at Travis Air Force Base. Soon after this meeting, Ken Burn’s latest documentary, Vietnam, was released telling the story of that

  • Strive for perfection, settle for excellence

    To err is human, as we are not inherently perfect. Nevertheless, if we chase perfection, excellence is a probable outcome. To pursue perfection, we must elevate risk to the appropriate level, proactively avoid complacency and learn from honest mistakes. We must strive for perfection—cognizant it’s

  • A simple thank you goes a long way

    In today’s instant gratification world, we are easily disgruntled if something doesn’t happen immediately. Because we are used to our cell phones and social media, we have become less and less inclined to deal with the human element of the mission.