8 Jul 2009

A lesson in core values

Heads were rolling. I had just finished several months of training and arrived at my first duty location, excited and ready to go to work training the Air Force's newest pilots. I was a FAIP, first assignment instructor pilot, in the T-38 Talon. It was a Monday morning and there was a commander's call first thing in the morning. There was a lot of

7 Jul 2009

Top 10 ways to stay out of jail and have a successful career

A few years ago a good friend and fellow judge advocate general officer serving as an area defense counsel made a top-ten list of ways Airmen could avoid trouble and stay out of jail. After several years as a JAG officer both prosecuting and defending Airmen, I still find the advice to be spot-on and worth repeating. Here, with only slight

30 Jun 2009

The lifelong effects of a DUI

On the night of June 4, 2009, I was pulled over and charged with driving under the influence. I spent the night in jail and my life will forever be changed. Confucius once said "To see what is right, and not do it, is want of courage, or of principle." As a member of the United States Air Force, judgment and courage are paramount in determining our

25 Jun 2009

We are guardians of freedom

Two hundred and thirty-three years ago, our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence. They were farmers, bankers, merchants and inventors -- men from all walks of life who had a common goal to stand against oppression and tyranny. They risked their lives by declaring all people have certain "unalienable rights... life, liberty, and

23 Jun 2009

Rescuers from above

It is a glorious summer in Alaska's interior, but for some reason I am thinking back to winter. Winter with its darkness, frigid temperatures, snowmachining and dogsledding. It was after the New Year in 2006. We were at the detachment, kicking back, and watching the temperature to see if it would be too cold to come in to work or to fly. It wasn't,

22 Jun 2009

PLB to the rescue

Envision a beautiful hike through the majestic boreal forest in the interior of Alaska. This perfect vision is shattered when the hiker slips and falls breaking both legs. Sound like fiction? Think again. With no way to call for help, what do you do? When you enter the forests or mountains of Alaska you can potentially be hundreds of miles from the

15 Jun 2009

Lessons from an Alaskan search party

Earlier this month, a local school teacher went missing while out for a hike in an Alaska state park. She spent three nights and four days in the woods before being rescued on a gravel bar eight miles from the trail. Local media covered the amazing rescue but I think the left out an important part of the story; the overwhelming display of support

5 Jun 2009

Financial freedom within your reach

Every day the news broadcasts the US consumer debt versus savings, the stock market performance, and commentary on stimulus program effectiveness. Are you feeling overwhelmed? Financial freedom can help alleviate this feeling. How do I attain financial freedom, you ask? You have to take charge of your financial life. Here's how my family tackled

2 Jun 2009

The New Face of RED FLAG-Alaska

RED FLAG-Alaska opened the doors June 1 to its newly renovated combined maintenance and operations facility; building 1141. Following the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure decision that forever changed the operational landscape at Eielson Air Force Base, I had the privilege of helping shape RED FLAG as part of the PACAF Site Activation Task Force

29 May 2009

What's most important to you?

Take a moment or two and just think about those things in your life that you value most. What do you hold near and dear to your heart, more than anything else? Don't just stop with the first thing that pops into your head. Think hard about it. Rack and stack those things and then determine what's at the top of your list. Is it your spouse? Your