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Commentary Search

  • The story that should lead

    There is a cold reality in journalism 'if it bleeds it leads.' It is a mindset that has frustrated me in my time as a media professional, but one I have come to accept.While serving as a military journalist in Afghanistan, I have seen the reality of this theory play out a few times in recent months.

  • Wax on...Wax off - building Air Force muscle memory

    No, this is not some obscure reference to upper lip hair practices in the wake of last month's Moustache March Madness, preparations for bikini season, or even a scene from The 40 Year Old Virgin. Many of you will recognize this as a reference to the 1984 movie, The Karate Kid. On the surface, it is

  • Air Force weathermen support the fight

    When people hear the term "weatherman" they typically think of a person dressed in business attire providing the latest hurricane update or winter storm warning on evening news. The Battlefield Airmen of the 19th Expeditionary Weather Squadron couldn't be further from that image. Dressed in

  • Open Ranks: Handling stress in the service

    Whether it's your first deployment or your tenth, stress is always an issue military members and their families have to overcome. After raising your right hand and taking the oath, you volunteered to accept a new way of life. No one promised it would be easy; in fact, there is a reason that only 1

  • Put your mask on first

    How often have you heard: "Secure your own mask first before helping others?" Probably every time you travel before taking off, you hear the speech from the flight attendant over the aircraft speaker. But have you really thought about why the airlines tell you to put your mask on first? At face

  • Deployed Living

    Living in a dormitory as a deployed service member can be compared to a bookshelf -- the people are like the bookends and their lives are the stories.Every morning when I wake up, I brush my teeth with the same people and I see them again at night. With smiling eyes, head nods or the occasional

  • Open Ranks: Airmen see, Airmen do...

    I know the phrase is supposed to be "monkey see, monkey do," but I think our Airmen are a lot smarter than the smartest monkey (Planet of the Apes doesn't count; that's just Hollywood magic and a lot of CGI). But the underlying premise is there: our Airmen emulate us, so we need to be sure to keep

  • Be proud of your AF occupational badge, wear it

    As I walk around Air Force installations, I notice many Airmen don't wear their occupational badge. I know, according to AFI 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel, Airmen aren't required to wear it, but I encourage them to do so. First, your occupational badge is an insignia

  • Key ideas make success reality

    Early in my Air Force career, my mentors taught me to observe. My chief and commander would encourage me to look at a situation and ask why it happened the way it did (both positively and negatively). Many times I didn't know the answer, but I never forgot that important lesson and the principles

  • Today's Tuskegee Airmen: Carrying on the legacy

    Racism. Discrimination. Disgust. Hatred. For the original Tuskegee Airmen, these words echoed throughout their Air Force time. These were only a small fraction of the countless hurdles our wingmen had to face every day. Whether reporting for training or simply attempting to eat, these men were faced