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Commentary Search

  • Adapting to change, moving forward

    Team Fairchild, As I looked around our wing, Air Force and Nation, I see a common theme which most recently came to the forefront when talking with our Airman Leadership School class. I heard myself saying the word "change" an awful lot...so I thought why is that? It becomes clear that 'change' is

  • Remember that balance is key

    As we enjoy our holidays and head into the New Year, I like to take time out to think about what I want to achieve in the coming year. For me and for the wing, balance is what I've come up with. We often get into situations when the mission's operations tempo makes us unbalanced. For example, are we

  • Tankers: From a Question Mark to Today’s Fight

    Air refueling operations continue to be amazing aerial feats, especially for people who witness the process for the first time. As mobility Airmen, we consider it simply part of what we do but, in reality, it is quite remarkable to have two aircraft meeting less than 50 feet apart at more than

  • The first 90 days: A new commander’s perspective

    In preparation for my first command, I talked to former bosses and current mentors and tried to meld my own experiences growing up as a junior Security Forces officer with theirs. One thing was abundantly clear from all three sources - despite my best efforts, I wouldn't be prepared for everything.

  • First Sergeant: Leadership by example

    "Thank you, First Sergeant!" I hear it all the time. Our First Sergeant's office is right next door to mine and we share the same waiting area. The sincere reply is an appropriate sign of well-earned respect for any unit's most influential senior non-commissioned officer. Now, I'm not the authority

  • How to lead the way

    Everybody knows Coach K, longtime head coach for the Duke Blue Devils college basketball team. His book on leadership "Leading with the Heart" is a must read for any leader. Coach K's perspective on leadership is relationship driven and principle centered; he believes in strength of character, solid

  • Show your Airmen that you care

    I had made my mind up about what I was going to write this month, but since my ride to Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., for the Non-commisioned Officer Academy, I've changed my mind ... because airplanes have a way of introducing you to both amazing and inspiring people. So there I am sitting next to

  • Shirt, I Haven’t Worn My Blues Since Basic…

    With the majority of us wearing our service uniform on Mondays, now is the perfect time to review some of the standards associated with its wear. For the last seven years our normal uniform of the day has been the battle dress uniform - now the Airman Battle Uniform. Many of you joined the Air Force

  • The fun starts here

    During military retirement ceremonies, I have often heard members comment during their speech that they never intended to make the military a career. They planned to stay in as long as they were having "fun" and before they knew it, 20 or more years had slipped by. Their speeches included the

  • Proud to be part of Team Fairchild

    First of all, I want to thank the men and women of Fairchild Air Force Base for the very warm welcome. I greatly appreciate all hard work and effort that went in to the change-of-command ceremony - it was absolutely outstanding. I'll remember that day for the rest of my career. I am honored to have