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Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians

Commentaries

  • Patriotism is defined differently for different people

    I hear the word "American" and the first things that come to mind for me are the “Stars and Bars,” the Bald Eagle and the Statue of Liberty. These are all signs of our great nation, and most of us can relate to these images. But what does it mean to be an American? With the 4th of July holiday

  • Don’t look at progress with Western eyes

    A couple hundred yards outside the perimeter here, loudspeakers blasting Afghan music permeate the night air. Faintly, the sounds of laughter and shouting come from the compound housing the local Afghan militia force there.For the past three hours I’ve been stretched out on my cot, tossing and

  • Core values are solid foundation

    "You fall back to your initial training that says, 'Hey, let's get the job done.'"Those were the thoughts of Lt. Col. Fred Swan when his B-1 Lancer crew received a critical targeting direction that would lead them to strike the suspected location of Saddam Hussein.After the initial surge of

  • E-mail -- pitfall of leadership

    It seemed like a simple issue: identify two or three members who would fulfill a wing-level tasking. Our deadline was two days away, and I was getting an update from the squadron superintendent.“Well, ma’am,” he said with the look and tone of futility, “I sent out an e-mail to the (noncommissioned

  • Deployed officer thankful for father’s support

    When his little girl was born more than 30 years ago in a small Nebraska town, he never imagined that one day she would be a major in the Air Force, serving during such a time of turmoil.She is and she is I. As I work here on this Father’s Day, so far away from home and all that is familiar, I

  • 'The case of Private Christina' -- my response

    While sitting at my desk writing my daily article for the Freedom Watch, the local base newspaper, my co-worker casually turned to me and suggested that I type my name in the Yahoo search engine to see all of the articles I’ve written that have been posted on the Internet. Not thinking anything of

  • Letter from child highlights appreciation

    It's always special when something unexpectedly brightens your day. It happened to me the other day when children from a local elementary school sent letters to the family support center to forward to our deployed Air Guard members.One letter, written by fourth-grader Calie Barron, caught my

  • Mentoring: Please and thank you

    I recently sent out an e-mail with a couple of questions to a few people for a story I was writing about Stop-Loss. I got many answers back, but one answer in particular stood out and made a lasting impression on me.The answer I got back was from a major who was affected by Stop-Loss. When I asked

  • AEF meets the call for air power

    Whether you were deployed to Southwest Asia launching wave after wave of aircraft, or at your home station working extra shifts to cover for those who were, you know that the global war on terrorism has required a massive Air Force effort.But oftentimes I think it is hard to appreciate the full

  • 'Critical Days' require focus on safety

    The past 18 months were busier than usual for Air Force people. I am extremely proud of the job each of you has done in support of the Global War on Terrorism and Operation Iraqi Freedom. As we bring our people home, this summer will offer great opportunities for us to relax, recharge our