COMMENTARY SEARCH

  • Paying it forward

    With tax season upon us, I had a weird thought. Being in the Air Force is in many ways similar to the process of receiving a tax return. Now bear with me on this one, and I will try to break it down for you. I'm not saying the two directly correlate or are completely the same, but consider it for a

  • Good followers necessary for effective leaders

    It is perhaps one of the most difficult duties of an Airman, yet one which we tend not to talk about after Basic Military Training or technical training.We are taught throughout our careers how to be effective leaders, but somewhere in the focus to become effective leaders, we lose the focus on

  • Advancing CAF through storytellers

    Comprehensive Airmen Fitness is a key talking point in most speeches you hear from Air Force leadership. This concept has been introduced in formal training and many of our younger Airmen are very familiar with it. The purpose of this article is to introduce CAF and discuss how storytellers can help

  • Do you really know your people?

    What makes a leader? You can ask anyone this question, and every time you'll get a different answer.When I think of the great leaders I've had the honor and privilege to work with, I think of all the similar traits and qualities they shared. The most important is their ability to effectively

  • Winning ways, culture lead to victory

    After several years of being unable to put the right pieces together, the Boston Red Sox figured it out. They developed a system, a strategy and a culture that led them back to victory. A shared vision between owner, general manager and manager resulted in the execution of their strategy and a new

  • Respect: Give it, get it

    In preparation for this article, the one thing that kept coming to mind was respect. We all hold a key position in the military where respect plays a huge part in our daily interaction. Unfortunately, I'm sure you have all encountered a lack thereof at some point in your career. Respect is a feeling

  • Excellence unexpected result of mistakes

    In our present environment of force shaping actions and an increasing expectation to do more with less, the idea exists that perfection is expected. While excellence remains one of our core values, our heritage is wrought with leaders, who are both men and women, great and small, that questioned the

  • Comprehensive support system helps unit resiliency

    In today's Air Force environment of force restructure, budgetary constraints, continued mission requirements and resiliency, establishing a comprehensive support system in a unit is absolutely essential for success. Each organizational tier, whether at the element, flight or squadron level, must be

  • Preparing for next rank makes successful Airmen

    As Airmen we have many responsibilities and duties we must carry out in accordance with our jobs. According to AFI 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure, our responsibilities are as follows: junior enlisted Airmen initially focus on adapting to military requirements, achieving occupational

  • Three steps to avoid ‘toxic leadership’

    Toxic leadership. Sadly, this term has recently become vogue in the lexicon of the Defense Department to describe leaders possessing unfavorable leadership characteristics and whose actions eventually rot an organization from the inside out. Examples of these leaders drape across the weekly