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  • Zen and the Art of Aircraft Maintenance

    As a contracting officer and before that an ICBM missile operator, the world of maintenance was foreign to me until a few years ago. As an operator, all I cared about was whether the weapon system was operating 24/7/365, no questions asked. I gave little thought to the amount of hard work and

  • Upcoming OREs not 'business as usual'

    Anyone who works at Hill Air Force Base is well aware of the sheer size of this installation, as well as the large scope of its many missions. Team Hill has six wings, 61 associate units, all of which fall under seven different major commands, and a total base population of more than 22,000.With so

  • Hey Senior NCO! Did you get your 'Easy Button'?

    I heard it the first time when I received my line number to master sergeant: "Welcome to the senior noncommissioned officer tier, your judgment and discretion will be relied upon more now than ever before in your career." That statement has rung true so many times since then but never as prevalent

  • I'll call him "Rick"

    I'll call him "Rick." In the words of his military friends and co-workers, Rick was one of the greatest guys you'd ever want to meet: A hard working NCO in a high operations tempo unit, a family man, a compassionate friend always seeking opportunities to help others in his unit succeed. Rick was

  • The best enlisted leader I've ever met to this day

    I've often told Airmen about Tech. Sgt. (now Chief Master Sgt., Ret.) Jeff Geidner's leadership examples, but I've never written them down.Currently commanding 650 aircraft maintainers, I've had more opportunities to do so than ever before, so when the opportunity came to write this article it made

  • Courage in uncertain times fueled founding fathers' drive to independence

    WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The Air Force is no stranger to uncertainty, change and challenge. The 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review outlines four priorities for the Department of Defense: Prevail in today's wars, prevent and deter conflict, prepare to defeat adversaries and succeed in a

  • There I was…A Chief’s War Story

    I'm not good at telling "war stories" but I know they usually start with "There I was." So I'll try that.There I was...attending many Airman Leadership School (ALS) graduations, serving on a lot of ALS and Airman Professional Enhancement Course panels, and interacting with ALS students over the

  • Memorial Day calls for reflection on service, sacrifice of others

    Throughout my Air Force career, I've often reflected on the meanings of service and sacrifice. I'm proud of the service and sacrifices our men and women in uniform make every day so we, and all Americans, can enjoy our many freedoms. However, when I attended the reunion of the famed Doolittle

  • Commitment to Air Force Standards

    What is commitment and how does it relate to Air Force standards? Throughout my 22 years of service the word "commitment" has been the center of many discussions. Early in my career, I failed to realize the true meaning of commitment and how important its relationship was to Air Force standards.

  • Night to Day in 32 Steps

    Serving as a command chief, I've learned that the position feels like an extended ride on the emotional roller coaster. When I served as a squadron superintendent I certainly took a few rides; however, looking back they were kiddy rides at Disneyland. At wing level, the span of influence and