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13 Feb 2015
Find inspiration all around for daily grind
SHAZAM!That is the war cry of the 56th Operations Support Squadron. It comes from the comic book character Captain Marvel, who was introduced back in 1939.SHAZAM is an acronym of six Greek and Roman gods and heroes, each defining a special ability that the superhero possesses. There is Solomon for wisdom, Hercules for strength, Atlas for stamina,
13 Feb 2015
Forgetting past leads to repeating it
On Jan. 17, 1991, Operation Desert Storm was initiated by the U.S. to liberate Kuwait from the forces of Saddam Hussein, the Iraq dictator.Leading up to this event, Hussein had invaded the country of Kuwait Aug. 2, 1990. He targeted Kuwait due to its extensive supply of oil and his belief that Kuwait was conspiring with other oil-producing
6 Feb 2015
Raise a hand to volunteer
When you hear the word volunteer, you usually associate it with fundraisers, Red Cross organizations, community projects or base functions. We do not usually think about the work itself.From the time I entered the Air Force I remember being told never to raise your hand to volunteer until you knew if it was something you wanted to do. I followed
6 Feb 2015
Invest in leadership development
A few months ago during a breakfast with the squadron commander and a group of Airmen, an airman first class asked the commander, "What are some traits of a good leader?"I was amazed that a young Airman was thinking about leadership at 7 a.m. on a Friday. It was not only that she was thinking about leadership, but also that she was actually seeking
30 Jan 2015
Let's be an all-volunteer force
Well, we made it through the holiday season. Hopefully we have all reset and are ready to rock and roll this year.By now we should be well into fulfilling the New Year's resolutions that we set in place to improve ourselves. I'm sure you are hitting the gym more or maybe just starting to. Maybe you signed up for a class or two to improve your
30 Jan 2015
Stay out of rain; see bigger picture
Supervisors, you build and lead teams to the best of your abilities. You hold an umbrella of protection over your people, but what do you do when one of your members runs into the rain via a bad decision? Do you take your protective umbrella from other members to go cover your solo member? Or do you try to guide them back the best you can while
23 Jan 2015
Financial responsibility -- vital to readiness
In the "Band of Brothers" miniseries, there is a line in the movie where the soldiers are told to make sure they sign up for life insurance to ensure their next-of-kin gets $10,000 upon the soldier's death. While none of us are about to make a combat jump in 1944 to fight the Nazis, Airmen still have the responsibility to plan for financial
23 Jan 2015
Adapt, overcome, succeed
Change is inevitable, especially in today's Air Force. If you've been serving for more than a few years, it's likely you've experienced everything from new physical fitness requirements to the implementation of force management programs. Enlisted performance reports and feedback forms have been altered and changes to the promotion system are
22 Dec 2014
My personal leadership philosophy
My personal leadership philosophy can be summed up in just a few words -- people first, mission always.Some may mistake the phrase "people first, mission always" as a dictum to coddle unit personnel through adversity, but actually, my focus is on preparing them to overcome adversity. The mission will always press on, but without an engaged
22 Dec 2014
Work, family balance success marker
"Being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can't truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles." -- Zig ZiglarIn our careers, we frequently hear about the importance of having balance in our life and job. Some common phrases and statements we may hear