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  • Spiritual fitness for the non-religious

    As Airmen and members of the profession of arms, we've heard numerous times the three pillars of fitness: physical, mental and spiritual. I am not a practicing member of any organized religion, but I have the utmost respect for those who do live by religious beliefs. I think all of us in the Armed

  • Fit to fight, proud to parent

    Monday through Friday, I get out of bed, put on my United States Air Force uniform with pride, and walk down the hall to wake up and prepare my two-year-old for the day. Being a single parent in the military is not the most paid, the most prestigious, or the most sought after lifestyle; but for me,

  • Life's most persistent question

    It was a hot, summer day like any other in the city of Montgomery, Ala. Children played in the streets, using tools from their parents' garages to unscrew fire hydrants, so they could feel a cool respite from the scorching August sun. Men grumbled under their breath as they pushed lawnmowers over

  • The Journey back to normal

    Between August 2009 and March 2010, I lost myself during my deployment to Afghanistan. I remember coming off the airplane, seeing my family and knowing that my world would never be the same again. It took me more than a year to put my life back together. My family and coworkers greeted me coming out

  • Airmen, expectations

    Looking back, I'm not sure when I became one of "them," but somewhere along the way it happened. Rather than being in on the jokes, Airmen now become silent when I enter a room, and now I sometimes can't fathom how Airmen make some of the choices they do. I started wondering if I had lost touch with

  • A Dignified Deployment

    "These quilts are for anyone who's been touched by war, and outside of a direct combat unit in Afghanistan--you have been touched by war more than anyone in the United States military." Those were words I had heard a few times during my deployment to Dover Air Force Base, Del. Only this time, they

  • A dream cut short

    As I stood, sweating outside the Military Enlistment Processing Station on a hot June 24, 2010, I knew I had made a very important and life changing decision; the decision to join the United States Air Force. I joined the Air Force to attend school, travel, and grow as an individual. I left for

  • A dream cut short

    As I stood, sweating outside the Military Enlistment Processing Station on a hot day June 24, 2010, I knew I had made a very important and life changing decision; the decision to join the United States Air Force. I joined the Air Force to attend school, travel, and grow as an individual. I left for

  • Don't invite 'Death' along on your family trip

    Imagine Death creeping up on your mini-van as your family heads to Boise to do a little Christmas shopping. The only sound heard over the rumble of crackling ice is that of your children in the back seat, screaming as they watch their lives flash before their eyes. Spinning out of control, you

  • Thankfulness and an oak tree

    What are you thankful for? The question followed me the entire, extended weekend, as I struggled to write this article. It followed me as I made my way through the historic sites of Virginia. The air was unseasonably warm for November, as I walked through the remnants of Jamestown, Va. - America's