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  • 'Don't know what you've got till it's gone'

    Have you ever had one of those days where you habitually throw on your uniform while watching the news, drive to work without even really thinking about what you are doing because you have done it so many times, perform your job and then, at the end of the day as you're driving home, think to

  • The greatest gift: a blood donation through an Airman's eyes

    "Your blood donation is a precious gift of life." These words stood out as I read the preliminary donation guidelines every donor must look over prior to giving blood. It resonated deeply with me as I sat at the Langley Air Force Base Chapel Annex building on a recent muggy afternoon. I have always

  • The long road to CCAF

    One of the first conversations I had with Airmen when I arrived at my first duty station was centered on how I couldn't earn a Community College of the Air Force degree. To say I was angry would be an understatement.When I joined the Air Force Jan. 13, 2009, I was automatically enrolled into the

  • Prepare and prevent, don't repair and repent

    "Don't move...don't move, lay still. Can you wiggle your fingers? Toes? Where are you hurt?"This is how the first day of the Memorial Day weekend went for me.My friend, Tech. Sgt. Brian Schmitt, came down from Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., to do some trail riding with me in Cloudcroft, N.M., over the

  • They are ALL your Airmen!

    How many times have you heard someone say, "That senior airman's not wearing his hat in the parking lot." Or "That tech sergeant just ran inside because reveille is about to sound."? I bet at some point, a comment was made similar to, "I wonder who his supervisor is?" Or maybe, "Master Sgt. Smith is

  • Leadership in today's dynamic battlespace

    Leadership is complex in today's dynamic battlespace. Leaders need to consistently examine their actions and decision making. In addition, a leader needs to be disciplined and efficient in their approach to accomplishing the mission and developing Airmen.Leaders can either create a positive or a

  • From my first to my last: my course through alcoholism, Part I

    Author's note: April is Alcohol Awareness Month. This is part one of a three-part series about my journey from alcoholism to rehabilitation.I was visiting my aunt in California during the summer I was 16, a trip that had become an annual event for the better part of decade. The weeks spent there

  • More than recruiter's assistance

    Within the military, we are expected to put the needs of the service before our own. Often this means spending significant time not only away from loved ones, but the places we call home as well.The Air Force however, offers a program which enables us to have the best of both worlds. As a

  • Is your family safe?

    Even though you hear the sound of the "giant voice" test every Wednesday at noon, you are still startled a bit as the unsynchronized sound begins to wail across the installation. Your heart beats a little harder though when you realize it's not noon, and it's not Wednesday."Lockdown, lockdown,

  • Meeting Bataan survivors taught me about history, God and service

    On March 25, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the 23rd annual Bataan Memorial Death March, a marathon at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., that honors those who endured the famous 66-mile death march in 1942.There were more than 1,000 volunteers on the course that day, but my husband and I had