An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Commentary Search

  • We are all Airman

    I am an American Airman. This is the beginning of our Airmen's creed. Many of us do not take the time to think about the significance behind that statement. This is the message we should all understand and absorb and truly become one team.We are all Airmen. That is our collective identity. No matter

  • Joining the Air Force: Something to be proud of

    One of the worst experiences in my life brought me to one of the best decisions I have ever made--to join the Air Force. After graduating high school in 2007, some would have called me a gypsy, drifter or some other transient as I bounced around from one friend's home to the next while working full

  • Being fired for your country

    I want to share with you today what I consider to be the essence of being a good leader AND a good follower. It's quite complicated, so please give this your full attention:Do the right thing.That's it. If you do the right thing, you will rarely have a problem. It's been my experience that in almost

  • You don’t have to drink to have fun

    The first Airman Summit initiative I'm going to tackle is the request to lower the drinking age to 18 on base. A frequently used argument is typically, "If I'm old enough to die for my country, I'm old enough to drink." That logic has been used many times and my response is always the same, it

  • “Fueling the Fight” for Operation Enduring Freedom

    I was honored to have the opportunity to command the 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron at the Manas Transit Center, Kyrgyzstan from September 2010 until January 2011. The 22nd EARS is made up of 80 airmen primarily deployed from Fairchild. Our primary mission was air refueling support to

  • Feedback for Airman and Family Summit initiatives

    As a wing commander, I articulate my leadership focus through my priorities and vectors. It is my hope they will guide this wing toward success. One of my vectors is "taking care of each other to build trust and an unbeatable team," and I have seen this vector taking hold and driving Team Fairchild

  • Col Guemmer sets tone for next year’s challenges

    Team Fairchild, we've had an extremely busy time since I took command of the 92 Air Refueling Wing in July. Between all the inspections, high-profile visits, major events and, of course, our rigorous deployment schedule, everyone has worked especially hard to get where we are today. With the end of

  • How I learned there’s no business like snow business

    I was so not ready for this.I suppose the wakeup call should have been when we first moved here in April and it was still snowing into May. But this is our family's first winter in Washington State and we were totally taken by surprise.Sure, when we lived back in Virginia we'd get the occasional

  • Success is never final

    In Air Force weapons school presentations, I have seen the same quote many times "Success is Never Final" - Winston Churchill. I looked this quote up and found it to be a segment of a longer quote, that actually reads "Success in not final." The poetic license does not lessen the meaning, and the

  • AMC commander: 'We have a lot to be thankful for'

    As we gather together with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving next week, we have a lot to be thankful for. As Mobility Airmen, we are fortunate to be able to help others, extending our nation's reach around the globe for good causes! Today, in large part because of your efforts, our