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Remembering the 'sacred trust' -- do the right thing
Marshall McLuhan once said, "Professionalism is environmental. Amateurism is anti-environmental. Professionalism merges the individual into patterns of total environment. Amateurism seeks the development of the total awareness of the individual and the critical awareness of the ground rules of society. The amateur can afford to lose."On the
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4/01
2010
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Advice: 'Think about what's important to you'
Most bits of good advice have been around for a while, and have come from all different walks of life. Famous people, family members, friends and co-workers have all probably given advice that sounded good. Some advice has been tried and tested for generations and have proven to be sound. For example, when I was going to college in New York and
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4/01
2010
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How to fulfill an additional duty you may not know you have
When I first deployed to this undisclosed location in Southwest Asia for a 179-day temporary duty in late 2007, I was told that my official duty title would be director of operations for the 380th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron. However, upon arrival, I soon learned that I would have additional duties. While they are important to keep
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3/03
2010
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Stepping up from the bottom of the totem pole
Following an intense week of being out of my comfort zone and experiencing a day in the life of my leadership, I really got to see just how much every job means to the Air Force. In doing my day-to-day deployed job, you could say I'm on the low end of the totem pole, but experience has now showed me you can step up to the top of that totem pole at
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3/03
2010
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Keep thinking about your values – your core values
Twenty-three years have come and gone since the day I enlisted. I remember well being a 17-year-old who finally got to make a life decision on my own. For me, joining the Air National Guard was for college money and a chance to serve. Little did I know I would get so much more than money in return. The Air Force has instilled in me their core
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2/25
2010
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Hard work – can others see it on you?
To borrow an often quoted preamble, "So there I was..." I found myself on stage at a practice for the promotion and recognition ceremony at our deployed base. One of the promotees, a young airman first class, wore an oil (or some other lubricant) stained uniform and boots. I studied this young man and listened to the script to hear where he worked.
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2/20
2010
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A deployed Air Force birthday
On Feb. 18, 1992, I stepped on a plane in Milwaukee, Wisc., and flew to San Antonio, Texas, with thoughts running through my mind telling me, "What did you just get yourself into?" I'm sure every other new Airman headed there has the same thoughts. It's especially confirmed when you get to the airport, and there are training instructors with their
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2/18
2010
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Be your ‘physical best’
In early 2008, I was aboard a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter descending into Camp Ramadi, Iraq. As I exited the aircraft, there was a distant explosion from a mortar attack. I was thinking, "What did I get myself into?" I had joined the infantry at the young age of 40. As I carried my rucksack, weapon, 70 pounds of individual body armor and
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2/09
2010
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‘Spirit of Airman’s service’ represented well in deployed area of responsibility
On my first deployment in 1997 to Southwest Asia, a chief master sergeant who was on his last deployment there with me said, "You know the spirit of an Airman's service when they're willing to go away from home and serve in a far-away land."That chief, who was finishing a 30-year career and had joined the Air Force during the Vietnam War, had
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1/29
2010
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At the end of a race, pick up the pace and sprint!
"Run like hell and get the agony over with." -- Clarence DeMar (seven-time winner of the Boston Marathon)Every deployed Airman can look at their time in the deployed area of responsibility as a race. Deployment lengths can vary from person to person -- some run short distances while others run marathons. Despite the deployment length, there are
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1/21
2010
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