14 Feb 2007

Communication, attitude are key for successful change

Change is all around us these days. In order to successfully live in our world we must adapt. No one knows this better than Airmen of the U.S. Air Force. We frequently change jobs, permanent change of station, career fields as well as procedures that are handed down to us from our leadership. Change is inevitable, but many resist change. I had to

8 Feb 2007

Assessing risks is mission essential

We are all home, at least for now. After four months deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the members of the 41st Rescue Squadron A-Flight fulfilled the final half of an eight-month commitment supporting our combat search and rescue mission. While flying home on the final leg between Baltimore and Atlanta, I began to

7 Feb 2007

Unsung heroes: Airmen left behind contribute to GWOT

Throughout the past month more than 950 of our Gunfighters left Mountain Home Air Force Base to serve in far away places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and the United Arab Emirates. They will be away from their families and loved ones, and many of them in harms way for periods of up to one year. Last month, the men and women of the 726th Air

7 Feb 2007

Like football, get on the field and make the play

As I watched this year's Super Bowl, I was reminded repeatedly how teams or organizations need quality leadership to be successful and achieve their goals. Over and over during the game, I listened as the announcers focused on Indianapolis Colts coach, Tony Dungy, and how his calm, quiet leadership helped bring the team together. At other times,

1 Feb 2007

Signs of compassion, signs of hope

Major Pickart, chief of the wing public affairs office, recently deployed from Mountain Home Air Force Base to Balad Air Base, Iraq, as part of a regularly scheduled deployment. The following are some of his initial thoughts after his first few days at the base. I'm making the most of it here at Balad Air Base. I truly love my job and the people I

29 Jan 2007

Salutes honor those serving yesterday, today, tomorrow

Feelings of bitterness and loss caused the shoulders to slump, head held down, with no purpose or focus. Unaware of the surroundings, mixed emotions gripped the thoughts of the present. Time had run out. There was no way to show respect, thanks, gratitude or feelings of respect and pride to the person everyone came to see. Or was there? Music broke

26 Jan 2007

What ever happened to personal accountability?

We are living in a society where it is so easy to blame someone else for everything that happens to us, especially the bad. In an effort to become a gentler, kinder Air Force, I believe we have lost the essence of personal accountability. Recently the 9th Medical Group has seen an increase in the number of Airmen arrested for driving while under

23 Jan 2007

Is the quality of our Airmen declining?

I've heard in recent years, and still do hear occasionally, from people not familiar with our Air Force or, "old timers," that the quality of our Airmen is not what it used to be. They say, "too many Airmen go bad." I can clearly say these people are profoundly wrong. Yes, in my almost 28 years of service I've seen many changes. The only constant

17 Jan 2007

21st century here we come

You might have read the recent article in Stars and Stripes that talked about base newspapers becoming Web-only products. When I first received word that the Air Force wanted us to stop publishing a hard-copy paper and instead turn to the Web, my reaction was well short of enthusiastic (a polite understatement). The e-mail we received from the Air

10 Jan 2007

Airmen as 'light infantry' may hinder AF mission

Every couple of weeks I have the pleasure of briefing Ellsworth Air Force Base's newest first-term Airmen. Every time I brief these young Airmen, I make the point that the majority of our day-to-day focus here in the 28th Bomb Wing is to put "Bombs on Target from B-1 Bombers." However, since Sept. 11 many Ellsworth Airmen have participated in