Commentary Search

  • LNSI success — teamwork maintains confidence

    After Labor Day weekend, I returned to work to discover that we were about to receive yet another visit from the Air Combat Command Inspector General -- this time unannounced. Strategic Air Command used to conduct "no notice" inspections, and I recall twenty years ago experiencing that - but they

  • One final check turn

    Seventeen months ago I returned to Whiteman for the last of what have become three extremely rewarding assignments. It felt like I returned home. Many of you introduced or reintroduced yourselves to me as I made my around the base. You did much to turbo-charge my transition and enable me to better

  • Motivational leadership

    What motivates us? We go to work to do our jobs and we all expect the work we do will have an impact, the satisfaction of what we've done matters and it truly does. The definition of "what matters or motivates us" is different for each individual. For some it's money, others working a trade craft

  • Introduction to OPSEC

    When employing aircraft in any type of hostile situation, most people instantly think of the physical characteristics that make it survivable. Throughout the history of air power tactics and counter tactics, aircraft have used speed and maneuverability, electronic countermeasures, the ability to fly

  • Remembering the Army Air Forces and the newly created U.S. Air Force

    It was a historical event - Sept. 18, 1947, the day the U.S. Air Force became a separate branch of the armed services as authorized by the National Security Act of 1947 passed by Congress. Stuart Symington was sworn in as secretary of the Air Force and Gen. Carl Spaatz was sworn in as the chief of

  • STI's -Start Thinking Insurance

    A few months ago as the first sergeant for the 509th Security Forces Squadron, I received a call from the public health office requesting permission to do a public health briefing on sexually transmitted infections for one of the largest squadrons on base. I told them we were scheduling commander's

  • How often can a commander say, "Thanks"

    I take this opportunity, to publicly thank the men and women of the 509th Medical Group for their untiring commitment to providing health care to the beneficiaries of Team Whiteman. The 509th MedGp recently had our three-year accreditation inspection. I used the term "untiring" commitment, because

  • Turmoil demands leadership

    Over the last few months, we have seen great leaders depart the 509th Bomb Wing to retire, separate, or PCS. In fact, I was busy toiling over the retirement speech I would make at a great senior NCO's retirement recently, and it got me thinking ... what makes a great leader? Certainly, there are

  • Services depends on you

    Consider for a moment how life would be if we didn't have the wonderful luxuries and recreational opportunities that the 509th Services Squadron offers us on a daily basis here. Okay, moment's over, it's too harsh to imagine. Let's discuss instead how our award-winning Services team relies, in many

  • Let me tell you a story

    Future National Football League Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith was a good college football player for the University of Florida, but he was a great professional football player for the Dallas Cowboys. Two intriguing questions come from those statements: What is the difference? And, what made