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  • The Importance of Leading Up

    When I arrived at Dover for my command tour, I was coming off a year as an instructor at Squadron Officer School, followed by a year as a student at Air Command and Staff College, where I was introduced to a concept called meta-leadership. The concept was originally developed at Harvard and is

  • Rethinking how we lead

    While there are many theories on leadership, it is inherently up to each individual to determine how they will lead. I used this as motivation to read multiple leadership books leading up to my Change of Command to prepare myself for what was to come. Knowing that I was leaving a staff position with

  • Overcoming “It”

    Have you had a life altering moment? Not like dodging a car accident that made your heart skip a few beats. I’m talking about a moment where the fundamentals of who you are become questioned. The type when you look in the mirror and the reflection you see is not yours. If you have, I want you to

  • Thank you, Team Dover!

    Last January at my commander’s call, I talked about our strategic calendar. At the time, when we looked at September, it was extremely busy … too busy. So, we made decisions to lighten September’s load. We asked Air Mobility Command to move our Unit Effectiveness Inspection, and they did — we had it

  • Talking Politics? Know Your Limits

    Today’s political climate is, to say the least, spirited and vivacious. Whether it’s conversations around the dinner table, on the sidewalk downtown or at your weekly ukulele club meeting, politics seem to have taken center stage. No matter your political leaning, it is important to remember that

  • Looking back: From airman basic to squadron commander

    Over the last few weeks I’ve been thinking about how I got here. I’m a simple guy who comes from a simple family. Almost 20 years ago I left home for the first time, to join the Air Force as Airman Basic Stermer. I was joining the Air Force and I hadn’t even seen an airplane until I got on one to go