ORI stories: As told by Maj. Kevin Marzette, 50th Aerial Port Squadron Having served time in the U.S. Army, the most profound compliment that can be rendered to a fellow soldier is, ‘I would go to war with you any day of the week.’ Well, my experience during the recent Operational Readiness Exercise, Sept. 16…

OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea — By now, most Americans are aware of America’s fiscal crisis. The national debt is at $16.5 trillion and rising. The fiscal crisis is driving the need for budget cuts across the federal government. The Defense Department makes up approximately 20 percent of the federal budget, so we should expect the…

SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFNS) — “That night, my whole world turned upside down,” said Airman Samantha Smith, a sexual assault survivor in the Air Force. On the night Smith was recalling, she became a victim of sexual assault and took her first of many steps down the road to recovery. That night, Smith…

Maj. Anna B Ruiz Unit: 452 Mission Support Group Job: Executive Officer Hometown: Holtville, Calif. Hobbies: Photography, traveling, skydiving and gardening Two years ago, on Easter, I was at San Onofre Beach on Camp Pendleton when an earthquake struck Mexicali, Baja Calif. I’d recommend that you maintain your situational awareness. If indoors, drop to the…

These days, we hear a lot about the many different resources available in the military. If you are in need of financial help, you can choose from various military programs being offered. If you have legal issues or questions, most military bases have a legal staff that provides tons of helpful information.  On the other…

 SOUTHWEST ASIA — I felt like everyone knew how stupid I was and because I made bad choices, he got away with it. I did make really bad choices — choices that allowed me to put myself in a position to get sexually assaulted, just two months after turning 21 years old. My story is not that…

SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) — When I was first assigned a position to lead people in the Air Force, I was expected to be, among other things, a safety cheerleader, encouraging my team to avoid mishaps and work safely. This was a bit new to me and I found most safety lectures I sat through in…

Master Sgt. Anhtuan L. Dang Job: Paralegal Unit: 452 AMW/Judge Advocate Hometown: Irvine, Calif. Hobbies: Reading, outdoor activities, Boy Scouts activities with sons My experience could be summed up as “Awesome!” There were some tasks that we performed well. However, there were some areas where we will need to dedicate additional training so that we…

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines the verb “snowball” as increasing, accumulating, expanding, or multiplying at a rapidly accelerating rate. New Year’s resolutions can be a lot like snowballs. Just as a small lump of earth can increase in mass and speed as it rolls down a snowy hill, large and daunting goals can be equally easy to…

Pastor and author Rick Warren tells a story using the movie classic, “The Ten Commandments,” as his illustration. In the movie, there’s a scene where God commands Moses (Charlton Heston) to tell Pharaoh of Egypt to release God’s people from bondage. Unfortunately, Moses doesn’t think he was up to the job because he tends to…