Imagine you’re deployed. Your base has been mortared and you are leading a post attack sweep team. The very lives of your team depend on the collective actions of each team member. Think about what would happen if one person acted alone. Now, imagine you are recalled and standing in a deployment line. You’re depending…

My focus for this commentary is on our Air Force Core Values. Sure, I know, there have been hundreds if not thousands of such reviews and commentaries on this topic. But I think you’ll find this to be a somewhat different approach, so please indulge me and give it a read. The Air Force formally…

It was a typical Saturday morning for my family. As typical as it can be when you are a dual-military blended family and your better half is deployed overseas. We had gotten up, done our household chores, attended guitar lessons, and were on the road to Orlando when I got a call that I’ll never…

“Safety – It’s Personal” is the theme for this year’s Critical Days of Summer safety campaign, which runs from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. This year’s theme is a reminder that safety is everyone’s responsibility, and the decisions we make impact our friends, families and Air Force community. That’s the message from Maj….

The greatest threat to the United States Air Force right now is not external. It is from within. The allegations of sexual misconduct at Lackland Air Force Base [Texas] splashed across the news will undoubtedly be fully investigated and criminal behavior will be prosecuted appropriately. The victims will be heard and they will be cared…

As a child growing up in New York City, I didn’t have much, but I did have a pet lobster and an early philosophy lesson (okay, it was actually a crayfish, but in my youth I didn’t know the difference). Every morning when I woke, the first thing I did was run to the fish…

Ok, so it’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month, so what? It’s also (among other observances) Native American Heritage Month, Lung Cancer Awareness Month and National Pomegranate Month in the United States. Antioxidants aside, those other two are hugely important and leave me wondering, “What does cyber security even mean and why does it matter?” I’ve…

While executing a few mission rehearsals in the middle of the African desert, one of my men was returning to our rally point on his all-terrain vehicle and was being a little too aggressive in his maneuvers. Sure enough, he ended up in the dirt with the ATV alongside him. The rest of the team…

One of the most important pieces of advice I received upon being promoted to chief master sergeant was, “Never forget where you came from.” Although this guidance was valuable as a new chief, it was something that I’ve always held in high regard. No matter where I was in my career, I never forgot my…