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Commentary Search

  • Don’t assume, provide feedback

    I remember wondering early on in my career if I should be receiving documented feedback, but I never asked. I was afraid that I wouldn't like what my supervisor had to say. If you are a supervisor, the Airmen you supervise may feel the same way. Are you providing your Airmen the appropriate level of

  • With Thanks to our Veterans

    Every veteran is owed an enormous debt of gratitude. Veteran's Day provides a moment to pause and remember the scores of veterans who raised their hand and said, "Send me..." This holiday was established by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, to salute our American veterans who won the war to end all

  • KEEP CALM and CARRY ON...

    The slogan, developed in 1939 by the British government at the brink of World War II, still holds true today. With government shut down, sequestration, furloughs, etc., Airmen's confidence in the future may be shaken. Change and reductions have already started. What we do not know is just how far

  • Operational Security, now more than ever

    There's hardly a day that headlines don't feature successful cybercrime, cyber espionage and terror attacks. These attacks pose significant risks to organizations and families! The need to practice Operations Security has never been more important than now. Team Fairchild performs several missions,

  • Empowering Our Airmen

    The beginning of a new fiscal year always brings a unique set of challenges. Fiscal year 2014 is no exception. Not only did we start off the fiscal year with a government-wide shutdown, but we now also find ourselves in a continuing resolution environment coupled with sequestration. For over a year

  • "I'll flip you for it."

    "I'll flip you for it." I'm sure we've all heard those words, but I'm willing to bet not many have heard them come from a non commissioned officer. When I first heard those words nearly ten years ago as an Airman 1st Class, I'll admit I thought it was funny. A Technical Sergeant and I were having a

  • Challenging Times Require Collaboration

    The challenges Team Fairchild and our country have faced during this calendar year have at times brought us to our knees, either because of the sheer weight of what has happened, or in supplication and prayer. At times, we don't know how we are going to make it through because the challenges seem

  • Letter to Airmen: Raising Air Force Preparedness through Emergency Awareness

    Each September we commemorate National Preparedness Month, first launched in 2004 to increase emergency preparedness in the U.S. As we now leave September behind and move toward winter, it is imperative to prepare ourselves, those in our care and our communities for any emergency situation.The

  • Our Reputation – The Only Thing We Really Own

    According to Warren Buffet, "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it."A wise colonel once told me that, as NCOs, we do not really own anything except our reputations. We do not own the airplanes we fix, the Airmen we train or the bank account that pays the Air Force's

  • Suicide Prevention Month

    Although Suicide Prevention Awareness is a year-round endeavor, September is designated as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month so that special attention can be brought to the subject of Suicide Prevention, to highlight how much of a waste in human life and potential the act of suicide is and to