Commentary Search

  • Why I served

    As my 32 year Air Force career comes to a rapid close I've found myself growing increasingly sentimental and reflective.  I've spent considerable time pondering, savoring and squirreling away the memories of the places I've been, the people I've worked with and the achievements we've made over the

  • Preventing sexual assault in the Air Force is our enduring responsibility

    As we begin Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, clear signs point to the progress we have made in combating sexual assault. We can cite encouraging numbers in the areas of prevalence, reporting and convictions; however, this serves as only the beginning of an enduring effort. This effort

  • The Wild Blue--Here's a Toast...

    "Here's a toast, to the host of those who love the vastness of the sky.  To a friend, we send a message of his brother men who fly."     On January 28, 2015, our Nation lost a very special Airman--Lt. Col. (ret) Ed Saylor--a long-time resident of Puyallup, Wash., and one of our last four remaining

  • Bridge the communication gap between Ops, Maint

    I'm a crew chief in the 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here and in my years on the flight line, I have noticed a number of pitfalls in which maintainers could possibly be trapped. The most prominent would have to be a sense of complacency and an inability to see the big picture. As

  • Do something

    "What can I do to make a difference?" If you're like me, this is the question you ask yourself about sexual assault in the Air Force. As legal professionals we're trained to respond to any argument. But when you read so many conflicting reports about sexual assault in the media, when you hear

  • Crosswalk

    It is early morning and I am walking from my car into bldg. 100 at McChord Field.  The crosswalk is visible with plenty of lights around.  As I approach the crosswalk  I notice there are quite a few cars going by.  I wait for a minute and I see an opportunity to cross.  As I am crossing, a car

  • The 62 AW Looks Beyond the Horizon to 2015

    Staff Sgt. Russ Jackson, 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs, took these incredible shots from one of our McChord C-17s during the Joint Forcible Entry exercise in December.  Pretty cool pics, wouldn't you say?  As I looked at these incredible images of the amazing things our Airmen do--I couldn't help

  • Fire Station 105: Trained and Ready

    This November, I had the tremendous privilege of spending 24 hours with a joint team of firefighters consisting of Air Force, Army and civilian personnel at Fire Station 105, at the McChord Field flightline.These men and women are highly trained professionals who stand ready to act on a moment's

  • Climbing Mt. Rainier

    When I first arrived at JBLM, the day was clear and I looked out my window and saw Mt Rainier. Its prominence is undeniable and it just beckons to be summited.  I knew little to nothing about what kind of preparation, effort and finances it would take to accomplish such a task but I was immediately

  • The Certainty of Uncertainty--Preparing Yourself for a World of Unknowns

    Truth be told, I'm a bit of a news junkie.  Before I go to sleep every night and as soon as I wake up every morning, I'm on my smartphone, checking all the feeds for the latest news and happenings around the world.  News travels at the speed of light, and in this globally connected world, I figure