Commentary Search

  • Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act and interest rates

    Are your interest rates too high? If you are paying more than six percent, then the answer is probably "yes."If you are paying more than six percent interest on debts incurred before entry on active duty, you may qualify to have your interest rate reduced to six percent. This includes most financial

  • My recollection of Operations Desert Shield, Storm

    At the time, I was assigned to the 552nd Airborne Warning and Control Wing, 963rd Airborne Warning and Control System Squadron, as a navigator. I was a newly promoted 1st lieutenant and one of the youngest navigators in our squadron when Desert Shield and Desert Storm began. In fact, I was airborne,

  • It was an honor

    I will be honest, I'm not the type that "bleeds blue."With that said, I didn't seem to be the obvious choice to fill a slot for my unit's upcoming Honor Guard rotation.I was selected, though, and I felt relieved to have the chance to follow a temporary assignment outside of my career field. It was a

  • Buying a car: what you should know

    Buying a vehicle isn't as simple as buying video games, a new outfit or selecting lunch. The style, gas mileage, costs and insurance are many factors to consider before purchasing a car. Nothing ruins a cool car faster than a bad deal. The next time you are in the market for a car, please consider

  • Don't be a victim to identity theft

    Identity theft happens when someone steals your personal information and uses it without your permission. Unfortunately, identity theft can happen to anyone at any time. Many identity thieves search trash cans for personal information such as old bills or statements--both at home and in work areas.

  • Here we sit, waiting for the call

    On the television the cult classic movie "Dr. Strangelove" plays for about the ninety-second time, and my co-pilot and I debate what to do with our time. Surrounding us are a few dozen of our newest best friends, all of which are also debating how to shape their evenings, sleep cycles, and most

  • Finding strength, resiliency through Air Force family

    I joined the military to provide for my family, but I never would have expected the challenges my family would face and how we would evolve.When I enlisted in the Air Force I joined another family without intent. This family has been with me ever since, especially during my family's darkest

  • Leadership: a journey of lessons learned

    John Wooden, former UCLA basketball coach, once said, "Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." Too often leaders reduce the measurement of success to simply tangible items such as awards. This one-dimensional view devalues lessons that can be learned by experiencing failure.A leader's

  • Benevolence or bullets?

    While in Air Force ROTC, particularly during the final year, we had many discussions regarding what made a successful leader and Airman. We were taught how to write performance reports and award packages, we acted out scenarios between supervisors and subordinates, and we went over the things we

  • Letter to Airmen - Thank you

    18 AF Airmen,First, let me say what an honor it is to be back in the mobility business and Eighteenth Air Force! Your reputation for dedicated service and professionalism is well established and precedes you wherever you go. Whether you are airdropping Paratroopers over Spain, refueling fighters