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  • What are your values?

    Many of us in uniform have traveled the world and have been introduced to different cultures, but have you noticed different values of the world? I was very fortunate to be raised by a wonderful family that taught me a value system. The Air Force also teaches values in AFPAM 36-2241, Professional Development Guide, as an ethical value system:

  • COMPACAF sends July 4th message

    Independence Day provides us an opportunity to reflect on our nations' rich history while also celebrating our 236th birthday. While we enjoy the holiday with our loved ones, or on far away shores and separated due to military duties, we should also reflect on the debt we owe to the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen who made

  • Cyber Readiness Is Everyone’s Responsibility…and an Inspection Is Coming July 9th

    Air Force Chief of Staff, General Norton Schwartz, emailed everyone in the Air Force on May 27th, 2009, "...in the past, we've regarded network protection and security as the 'comm guy's job,' and as a user inconvenience. This must no longer be the case. As Airmen, civilians and contractors, you must understand your responsibility in this cultural

  • Instilling pride, ownership important in developing next generation of leaders

    In a previous commentary I wrote about leading by example and the importance of realizing that all actions, whether intended or not, are seen by others throughout the organization. One of the most important examples a leader can set is displaying trust, faith and confidence in subordinates by allowing them the opportunity to make decisions for

  • Fighting fatigue through prevention

    It is getting late in the evening and you are trying to decide if you should watch a movie or go to bed. The movie looks interesting, but you will only get five hours sleep before you need to get up in the morning for work. You are working night shifts, but it is your weekend and you want to go fishing with a group during the day. What will you

  • To our future AF self-made millionaires

    I'd like to introduce to you the Thrift Savings Plan Roth. First the good news: the Thrift Savings Plan, our Government's version of a company sponsored 401K retirement program, will soon be making a Roth option available to you for future investment. The bad news is that your fellow Airmen don't seem to care; or perhaps even worse, don't know what

  • Leading in our fiscal environment

    While executing a few mission rehearsals in the middle of the African desert, one of my men was returning to our rally point on his all-terrain vehicle and was being a little too aggressive in his maneuvers. Sure enough, he ended up in the dirt with the ATV alongside him. The rest of the team ran to ensure he was uninjured. He was fine, but the ATV
  • Gen. Gary North, Pacific Air Forces commander

    PACAF commander sends Airmen Memorial Day Message

    On May 28, 2012, we will pause to honor the memory of our service members who gave their lives in their service to our great nation. For 236 years our military has protected our national interests, at home and abroad in both peacetime and wartime. While our world and our armed forces have changed over the centuries, certain elements of our armed

  • Leading at all levels

    Every Airman is a leader. I recently attended my brother-in-law's graduation from Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, with my wife. I am an Air Force officer just over the halfway point of a 20-year career and she is a former Air Force officer who now serves as a Department of Defense civilian (and my better half). My

  • The emergence of air power strategy

    Memorial Day is right around the corner, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to pause and reflect on our Air Force history. Relative to the other Services' pasts, ours is pretty short. I aim to summarize from our Air Force history those key "nuggets of knowledge" in an attempt to explain the emergence of our air power strategy.  The
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