31 Aug 2006

'I have the greatest job'

I will never know the feeling of soaring "into the wild blue yonder," and I am not engaged in any fascinating strategic planning. I have never seen a Pentagon "War Room" and I am not privy to the inner workings of the minds of great generals. My only trip to the White House happened during the Carter Administration, on a 6th grade field trip, and

24 Aug 2006

'That's my people'

I get excited and energized by meeting and learning about people who are different than me. Inevitably at the end of spending time with people I will look at my wife and say, "That's my people." She looks at me as though I've lost my mind and laughs. Now I say it in a joking way to make her laugh; however, I am actually quite serious about it.   At

18 Aug 2006

'Hold my beer... Watch this!'

Chances are that whatever follows that phrase will no doubt be some spectacular event that others will critique as they read the subsequent accident report. Who knows? This safety-defiant, alcohol-induced lack of judgment may even make the Darwin Awards! Whether it's the urban legend of the guy that attached jet-assisted takeoff rockets to his car

11 Aug 2006

Why we wear the uniform

Have you ever asked yourself why you wear the uniform every day; why you're willing to be separated from your family for months on end while putting yourself in harms way; why you generally take less pay than what perhaps you could earn on the outside; why you're willing to uproot yourself and your family every few years (or more), sometimes to

3 Aug 2006

Got a handle on your bills?

Maintaining personal finances is your responsibility, regardless of whether you are military or civilian. However, as a military member, it becomes even more important because you are more likely to deploy. Financial problems incurred prior to or during a deployment become much harder to resolve while deployed. Personal finances can become a

28 Jul 2006

What is abuse of authority?

In a previous fraud, waste, and abuse article, I discussed resource abuse. Now, I’d like to turn to abuse of authority. The following is extracted from the latest Air Force Judge Advocate General guidance to Air Force Inspectors General. I recommend that commanders, first sergeants, and supervisors use the JAG’s “test” to sanity check actions they

13 Jul 2006

Look out for motorcycles

You see the briefings and articles about motorcycle safety and you say, “This doesn’t apply to me. I don’t ride a motorcycle.” However, your actions while driving a car can be just as important in preventing a motorcycle accident as the rider’s actions. In 2004 there were 1,803 two-vehicle fatal crashes involving a motorcycle and another vehicle.

29 Jun 2006

Gen. North sees similarities between today's military, revolutionary soldiers

This week we will be celebrating America’s 230th year as an independent nation. As we remember the past and honor those Soldiers who fought for our freedom, I often wonder what the common soldier thought when he heard that Congress had declared independence. The thought that comes to my mind, and many historians, is those soldiers must have

15 Jun 2006

Lessons learned from exercises

Last week, the 77 Fighter Squadron and Aircraft Maintenance Unit completed a long set of exercises helping hone skills needed for combat and to prepare for Air Expeditionary Force 3 and 4 tasking. In roughly two months, we successfully deployed to Southwest Asia, Hill Air Force Base and Canada. We clearly demonstrated our ability to project combat

2 Jun 2006

Obesity affects military -- Take action to prevent 'growing' problem

It was just two months ago when I sat in my friend’s living room sharing pictures from her past. It was her high school year book, 1967, and something very striking caught my eye, “Wow, I exclaimed, all of you were skinny!” My friend laughed, and staring at the picture responded, “You are right, I had not thought or noticed it.” Not one adolescent