Commentary Search

  • Oath of Enlistment worthy of review this holiday

    Over 230 years ago, our Founding Fathers penned the Declaration of Independence, motivating 250,000 citizens to take an Oath of Enlistment to "swear (or affirm as the case may be) to be trued to the United States of America." Their efforts on the battlefields of Lexington, Concord, Valley Forge and

  • Leadership inspiration can come from unlikely sources

    Sometimes leadership lessons come from unexpected sources, like Jack -- the shop "slug". When I was a 21-year-old E-5 serving as a shop chief for the first time, I had very limited leadership experience to draw upon. As I assumed the duties, the one thing I remember thinking was that I didn't want

  • Retreat: A constant during times of change

    The Friday before Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the start of the official outdoor retreat ceremony here. This year the 62nd Mission Support Squadron had the honor of performing the first ceremony.As I stood at attention and watched the ceremony unfold, I couldn't help but think that this

  • 'Above All' ... I am an American Airman first

    I have to say I'm really happy we now have an Airman's Creed.For too many years, when asked what I do for a living, I've answered, "I'm a personnel officer in the Air Force" or "I do human resources for the Air Force" or more recently "I'm a squadron commander at McChord." Meanwhile, my brothers and

  • Families supporting Airmen are heroes too

    The Airman's Creed states: "I am an American Airman. I am a Warrior. I have answered my nation's call." In this current period of frequent and numerous deployments and temporary duty assignments, our active duty, Reserve and National Guard personnel are increasingly required to "answer our Nation's

  • Security forces fulfill many duties at home, downrange

    Security Forces 101 isn't a class one would take in school -- it's the title of my article for the base paper. My goal is to ensure the base and retiree populace is aware of what the 62nd Security Forces Squadron does or you at home and downrange. Our unit's mission statement is to "deploy highly

  • A new perspective on Air Force core values

    During one of my former assignments, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Dan McKinnon, the President and founder of North American Airlines. Most of you won't recognize North American Airlines as one of our largest commercial airlines, because it's not. Many of you that have deployed may recognize the

  • 10 helpful tips for long, successful Air Force career

    A few years ago, I read an article written for an Air Force base paper in England. It was written by captain on the Area Defense Counsel. In it, he discussed -- from his experiences -- the top ten things an Airman could do to stay out of trouble. I've had the opportunity to command five different

  • Don’t be a passive Wingman — intervene!

    If you saw a house burning down, would you ignore it or lend your assistance in any way possible? As Airmen we may be witness to fires, car accidents, natural disasters and quite possibly, acts of physical violence.April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and this year's theme is, "Prevent Sexual

  • McChord Airmen are indeed 'Above All'

    As I look back on the first half of my command tour, it is clear the success of our wing mission to provide combat airlift rests on the shoulders of our Airmen, who are "Above All". Every day I see examples within my flying squadron where we adapt and overcome to accomplish our mission safely. In