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  • The Big Picture

    EO incidents happen for a reason, and they create opportunities – opportunities for people to learn from one other. The driving force behind many of the complaints that I have had the unfortunate pleasure to process is lack of communication. Communication will allow you to resolve concerns at the

  • Quotes from my mobility pilot granduncle’s war diary

    From Oprah Winfrey to Mark Zuckerberg, our nation’s most successful leaders are readers. Warren Buffet spends 80 percent of his day reading. Bill Gates reads 50 books per year. Former U.S. Secretary of Defense and retired Marine general James Mattis carried around a library of 6,000 books with him,

  • It's hurricane season - But why do you care?

    I know, I know … Preparing for an unlikely disaster seems like a fool’s errand. I thought the same thing – until October 2018. I was stationed at Tyndall AFB, and I was 10 days into my deployment when a ravenous Hurricane Michael (CAT-5) suddenly devoured my base and its neighboring cities, my

  • On integrity

    The Air Force places integrity first, because it is, without question, the most important of our core values. In its purest form, personal integrity is doing the right thing, because it is the right thing to do. Integrity serves as our moral compass, the basis for the trust imperative to military

  • Independence and diversity

    Socrates said, “To find yourself, think for yourself.” To find oneself is to find one’s independence. Independence is our ability to make decisions and live life free from the control or influence of other people. This definition would suggest that independence can be an isolating concept, but in

  • Flipping the “switch”… Are you really there?

    Stress can and does extend from work to family time and vice versa. What sets people apart is how they approach and deal with this inevitable crossroad. For too long, I was constantly working through my to-do list from the time I got home each night until I fell asleep. While I was physically

  • Hidden treasure

    Serving in the military is a noble profession; however, it comes with many challenges. One of those challenges is moving to a new community every few years, feeling like a stranger in your own community and struggling to become meaningful amongst “people who grew up together.” I’m here to tell you

  • Stay home - Empower lives

    “Stay home. Save lives.”These words blinked on the overhead traffic sign as I sped down what was usually a jammed highway. The eerie emptiness outside reminded me of one of those apocalyptic Hollywood movie scenes – You know, the one where the protagonist is desperately searching through the heart

  • Thinking Independently … Together

    When you think about diversity, you probably think first about variations in racial and ethnic backgrounds, socioeconomic status, culture, lifestyle, experiences and interests. When people who embody these differences coexist together with a mutual understanding of a common goal, the result is

  • Tuesday Mornings

    Ordinarily, there is nothing remarkable about a Tuesday morning. At best, it proves we made it through Monday; at worst, it serves as a reminder that Friday is still three days away. For the past 24 months, it has meant something more to me and my wife.