Commentary Search

  • Hang up, buckle up

    There I was, riding my motorcycle on base when a blue sedan at a stop sign began to roll out of a parking lot and right into my path. Fortunately, we avoided a collision as the driver stopped halfway in the intersection once she saw me. As I rode around her car wondering what she was thinking, I

  • I think I pulled a G or something

    It wasn't until the moment that he fastened the parachute hooks around my thighs that I became super nervous. I looked down at him and said, "Gary, I think I might crap my pants." "Trust me," he said grinning, "you'll be fine." His wife Gwen must have heard my comment, because she immediately

  • Take care of one another, feel better about yourself

    Human dignity is a funny thing because not everyone views it the same way. In 2008, the President's Council on Bioethics attempted to arrive at a consensus about what human dignity meant, but failed. Dr. Edmund D. Pellegrino, the council's chairman, stated in the letter of transmittal to the

  • Get on your soapbox

    As a senior non-commissioned officer, I am constantly trying to improve my leadership. If you ask anyone who works with me, they will tell you I spend an ample amount of time on my soapbox, almost to a fault. I was just on my soapbox again, but this time it was to fill out the 2010 Air Force Climate

  • Large, small donations impact lives

    I used to give because I could. I used to give because it was the right thing to do. And I used to decide who to give to without much thought.Then in January I lost my mom to acute lymphocytic leukemia -- she was 53. Giving to charity is a personal experience and preference. My family's contribution

  • Gunfighter helps prevent suicide

    The evening of Oct. 7 started off normal. A friend I met in technical school stationed at another base was texting me just like any other ordinary day. We had conversations as usual, but little did I realize this day wouldn't end normal.At 8 p.m. my friend started drinking by herself. I told her she

  • Enlisted voices: why I serve

    Do you remember the day you joined the United States Air Force? The endless field of Airmen, guidons held high as they marched down the bomb run. The overwhelming feeling that, for the first time, you were a part of something bigger than yourself. You felt like the uniform you wore represented the

  • How one Marine became a proud Airman

    I am a proud Airman. That statement took me a little time to appreciate and truly accept. I started my service to my country as a Marine, and most of you know from meeting Marines that they are truly proud of being Marines. In fact, they will tell you there is no such thing as an ex-Marine. I am no

  • Communication with the "Spirit of Kansas"

    At some point in our careers we have probably had an event or person that has drastically changed our lives. The event I am about to share opened my eyes to the lines of communication needed to effectively conduct our mission and just how much another squadron or group's mission helped me complete

  • Choices

    One of the guiding philosophies that I strive to achieve in my professional and personal life is to ensure that I always have choices. I have found that the harder I work, the better the choices. Anyone who has seen the movie Forrest Gump probably remembers the line, "Life is like a box of