Commentaries

  • Maintaining High Standards

    In Glastonbury Green Cemetery in Connecticut, near a memorial to Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. John Levitow, is a Civil War monument called The Standard-Bearer.With his flag--his standard--cradled in his left arm, the Standard-Bearer's right arm is poised to draw his sword in defense

  • Setting Clear Priorities

    On July 4, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz published the 2010 CSAF Vector, laying out the priorities he and Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley have set for the next few years. They are:1. Continue to Strengthen the Air Force Nuclear Enterprise2. Partner with the Joint and

  • Avoiding the Vertical Pronoun

    Staff Sgt. Zachary Rhyner is one of only three Airmen since Sept. 11, 2001, to receive the Air Force's highest honor--the Air Force Cross--and the only one who did not receive it posthumously.A combat controller, Sergeant Rhyner saved countless lives by calling in more than 50 "danger close" air

  • The 1.0 Rule

    Alexander the Great is one of the best-known figures in history. His conquests shaped the modern world, and his military genius is legendary. Cleitus, on the other hand, is not so well known--but Alexander will not become "the Great" without him.It is 334 B.C., and the 22-year-old Macedonian king

  • Be safe this Fourth of July

    I'll be honest with you, the Fourth of July weekend is not one of my favorite times of the year. I guess it goes back to when I was a kid and I had some painful experiences on that weekend. I remember one Independence Day when my brother and I were out playing croquet, and he hit me in the head with

  • Burke's priorities: take care of the mission, take care of the people

    I've had many memorable experiences over the course of 27 years in the Air Force. A few moments stand out--memories that will stay with me long into the future.Wednesday's change of command ceremony was that kind of experience. It was humbling and awe-inspiring to look out at the men and women of

  • Dad dedicates first Father's Day to his daughter

    June 20 will be my first Father's Day.Thus far, all the attention has been focused on my baby girl. It's strange and humbling to think that the focus will be turned to me, the proud new papa, even for a day.Plans for this Father's Day have been kept up in the air. My only concern is to spend it with

  • A change to recycling attitude

    There's a phrase that states, "if we keep doing the same old thing, in the same old way, we'll continue to get the same old result."Every year a team of trained assessors conduct an environmental, safety and occupational health evaluation. It is almost guaranteed that one of the discrepancies that

  • 82nd TRW commander bids farewell

    It's hard to believe that it's already time to move on. Though Barbara and I are looking forward to a new assignment and new opportunities, a part of Team Sheppard and North Texas will stay with us wherever we go. As our time with Team Sheppard winds down, it's important to look back at what we've

  • SARC's remarks

    This month the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator Office began conducting Bystander Intervention Training, a new training program to replace the former annual Sexual Assault Response Coordinator training. The idea of becoming an "active bystander" is not something new, but rather a return to the