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Commentary Search

  • Commander offers three tools to aid supervisors

    Being a supervisor is the single greatest opportunity the Air Force can provide a leader -- the golden opportunity! Almost all of us will have this opportunity at some point in our careers. One important aspect of supervision is the fact that its inherent responsibility is also its inherent reward.

  • Time to reconsider 'work hard, play hard' motto

    "Work hard, play hard" -- it's a phrase we've all heard and many Air Force organizations use it as an informal motto. The phrase communicates the notion that we are intensely committed to doing what it takes to get the mission done, but we're not one-dimensional, mission-only people -- we approach

  • Desire, dedication, determination provide keys for fitness success

    "It was my first marathon, and I had to stop a bunch of times to take my leg off and adjust it, almost every one to two miles after mile 10, but at least I felt great afterwards, no real bad soreness either." A former squadron-mate, Lt. Col. Juan Alvarez, spoke these words to me after completing the

  • Career Focus: Decisions are your call

    Have you ever had an idea get stuck in your mind for days? It happened to me this month while I was attending a first sergeant seminar here. During several of the lectures, a recurrent phrase from the instructors kept appearing: "It's your judgment." I heard this phrase during the family care,

  • Seven tips for the "resolutionary"

    The new year often brings a wave of "resolutionaries." You know, all those folks who have a new plan to change their lives. They are out in force, filling the gyms, losing weight, quitting smoking and telling anyone who will listen about their latest behavioral change. Many are trying to fix

  • Reveille, retreat deserve adherence to military tradition

    You probably have heard the music coming over the base giant voice system. In the morning, you hear a bugle rendition of "To the Colors," and, as the duty day closes, "The Star-Spangled Banner." Observation during these musical periods, known respectively as reveille and retreat, should resemble a

  • Good leadership requires a vision

    The National Security Personnel System spiral 1.1 is nearing the end of the first appraisal cycle, and with it is a chance for all of us under the new system to assess how we've done and what we need to do to make the system more effective. As I set about the task of drafting guidance for new

  • Memorial serves as true Air Force symbol

    My father, like most fathers, is a difficult person to buy gifts for. He never wants anything, so you have to be creative -- always a daunting task. This past summer, with my father's August birthday fast approaching and after receiving the customary "I don't want anything" answer, I already had the

  • Never say never, just do it

    No one ever said you had to be rail thin and a 6-minute miler to be considered a runner. Some run for the great feeling afterward when endorphins kick in. Others run to compete. The point is just to get out there and get moving to get yourself in shape. Being physically fit is important for the

  • Medal of Honor recipients return to Boston

    On a recent theme park trip with a group of friends, talk of superhero-themed roller coasters evolved into a debate over which of two superheroes was greater. One contingent preferred the hero with super strength who can fly, while another group preferred the superhero who relies on his wits and