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  • Passion - believing in what you do

    I enrolled in the University of Colorado (CU) in Boulder, Colorado, in the fall of 1995.  My grades in high school had qualified me for a three-year Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship, but I still had to figure out how to pay for my first year of school and for my room and board.  The university sent a flyer to all perspective dorm

  • Core values part of everyday life

    Whether we realize it or not, the Air Force core values are at the center of our decision-making process in everything we do, or at least they should be.  We all make conscious, and many times, unconscious daily decisions that guide us through life ranging from menial tasks at home with our friends and families, to actions at work that affect the

  • Veterans Day: Service, professionalism, sense of duty

    As Strikers we have a proud heritage, one that each of you are a part of through your service. You carry on the great responsibility that Strategic Air Command dutifully accepted more than half a century ago: stand as a force to deter America's enemies and assure America's allies, exhibiting our strength through peace.SAC stood watch over the

  • Is failure optional?

    Should fitness be considered in the United States Air Force?  A recent survey revealed an increase in the number of overweight and out of shape service personnel who were unable to run long distances or perform physical tasks such as pushups.  This poses a direct threat to the ability of the U.S. to defend itself.  Twelve percent of active duty

  • A different perspective

    What are your chances of surviving the next four months as you go about your daily routine and accomplish our wing's most important mission - nuclear deterrence?  Is it one in a hundred, one in a thousand or even one in a million? How would you like to be faced with a 50 percent chance of not surviving the next four months?  More often than not,

  • Diversity as a force multiplier

    A colleague recently recommended a book to me which is an informative read about creative thinking strategies.  Many of Roger von Oech's concepts in "A Whack on the Side of the Head" are also focused on finding various solutions to difficult or multi-faceted problems.  As I continued through the book, however; I began to think of different

  • Finding balance in the northern tier

    I'm extremely blessed and fortunate to have been given the opportunity to lead the best team this side of anywhere - the Red Dawgs of the 12th Missile Squadron.  I may be a bit biased, but I truly believe it.  The 12th MS is just one of the many squadrons that make up our proud missile wing.  Our mission may not be glamorous, but it is a vital
  • The purpose of AADD is to be used as a last resort, when every element in your plan to get home safe has already failed. It is not an excuse to be negligent, or a free taxi service provided by the Air Force. However, sometimes plans fall through and things happen that are out of everyone’s control. That’s when it is time to call AADD. (Courtes Photo)

    Have a plan, don't drink and drive

    Earlier this year I joined the Airman Against Drunk Driving program. Along with Staff Sgt. Marino-Franco, my job is to contact dispatchers and drivers, ensuring they are prepared to pick up Airmen who have been drinking and bring them home safely. To better improve the program, we have sat through meetings with wing leadership, spoke at First Term

  • Mentorship program strengthens CGOs

    Company grade officers who only have limited interaction with enlisted personnel now may discover later that their growth as leaders has been impeded.Missileers and other career groups here who do not have daily one-on-one interaction with senior noncommissioned officers often feel disadvantaged later in their careers. This finding was reported by

  • The “short version” on leadership

    It would take a lifetime to read all the books there are on leadership. After 26 years of military service and multiple levels of professional military education, I've acquired a large stack of books on the subject. Many of these books hold valuable information that has been useful over the years. But truly all the information can be overwhelming.
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