Oct. 26, 2009 Fallen warrior's sacrifice hits home I just got back from a Fallen Warrior ceremony out on the flightline where a Charleston Air Force Base (S.C.) C-17 was taking a hero back home to his love ones. It's hard to describe the feelings that go through you as the flag draped coffin is carried to the plane from the truck. The wing commander
Aug. 1, 2009 Airman's Creed: Affirming our commitments How many people know the Airman's Creed by heart? How many times have we even heard it in our lives here at Duke Field? Do we know how powerful the creed is to our new Airmen? When it first came out, many Airmen thought it was just another change that would go by the wayside. But once you really
July 8, 2009 Excellence mindset fuels mission success What is your job in the Air Force Reserve? Our job at the 919th Services Flight is to train and equip our personnel to be ready to deploy and fight. We are a warfighting organization tasked in the core areas of food services, lodging, fitness and recreation, and mortuary affairs. Additionally, we
June 25, 2009 Truths of special operations forces in TFI Total Force Integration, or TFI, seems here to stay, impacting reservists across Air Force Reserve Command. Nowhere does TFI face more unique challenges as when applied to active and Reserve special operations forces. Air Force special operations require an agility and response that on the face
June 23, 2009 Reflect on sacrifices of Independence Day Independence Day, better known as the Fourth of July, is a time for fireworks and barbecues. It is a time to spend with family and friends, but it is also a time of remembrance. The 4th of July marks the day the Declaration of Independence was signed, our formal declaration of independence from
June 2, 2009 Retiring Duke Field pilot offers wisdom legacy Over the course of the years I have heard many of these one-liners. I have to admit, I didn't always follow this sage advice. But now, looking back, I can say with conviction they are all true. Everybody's hero is somebody's jerk. There are always three sides to a story, yours, theirs and
May 12, 2009 Air Force Recruiting: Live it every day When was the last time you did a "recruiting pitch for the USAF Reserves? Well, for me, the most recent was May 6, when I had the pleasure of presenting a Reserve Officer's Association Award to a distinguished Air Force Junior ROTC cadet at Pensacola High School. I have done this presentation in
April 28, 2009 What does 'service before self' mean to you? Marking your underwear and learning the Air Force Core Values -- the two things I remember most clearly from my initiation into the Air Force. My marked "whitey-tighties" are no longer with me. I retired them a long time ago. But the Air Force Core Values are as engrained in my memory bank as my
April 20, 2009 Recognize your responsibility as a mentor I have been at Duke Field for quite a few years and during this time I have had the pleasure of caring for, deploying with and serving alongside the outstanding Airmen of the 919th Special Operations Wing. When I joined the Air Force Reserves many years ago, I set a number of goals that I wished to
March 25, 2009 What will be your legacy? I have been in the Air Force for almost 20 years now, and I have seen change in everything from the uniform to the manner in which we perform aircraft maintenance. That is the one constant that we can all count on -- change. As I have been put in different leadership roles I have noticed a trend