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Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians

Commentaries

  • That's why

    “Excuse me, sir, excuse me.” At first I did not hear her. She was tiny, about 7 years old and was speaking very softly in a very loud and crowded family pizza and entertainment place where I had brought my sons after work. Only her slight tugging on the sleeve of my flight suit made me realize she

  • Force shaping and one lieutenant's morale

    Balance the officer and enlisted corps. That is the current need of the Air Force. As a officer and a second generation Airman, I've been told from day one, the “needs of the Air Force” come first. What happens when those needs mean the loss of my job -- and not just my job, but a career of

  • The Christmas spirit is alive in Afghanistan

    When most people think of Christmas, they think of spending quality time with family and friends, sitting around a beautifully decorated tree, opening brightly colored gifts and eating a feast of homemade goodies. Others say Christmas is all about giving. All of which I believe. But if you'd have

  • No matter how small, every part counts in the Air Force puzzle

    Descending into Baghdad, my C-130 Hercules crew prepares for landing.The copilot coordinates with air traffic control while the navigator ensures we follow desired ground track to the field. The flight engineer runs checklists and the loadmasters scan for threats. We keep our speed up as long as

  • DUIs can wreck lives, careers

    My blues are crisp. My low-quarters are highly shined. My hair is freshly cut and my face is closely shaven. I appear the consummate Airman. My palms are sweating. I have a meeting with my commander. I enter the room trying to be cool and confident, but uncontrollably, my face flushes. There are so

  • Perspective: Four years and I'm out?

    I am willing to bet every Airman has heard these words at least once in his or her career: “Four years, and I’m out.” Maybe it’s an off-hand remark at the end of a frustrating week or after a long, thoughtful gaze at the inviting green grass on the other side. Either way, most of us have considered

  • Nurturing the future, grooming Airmen for success

    What does taking care of your troops mean to you? Does it mean giving in to every want, concern or need? To me, it means to give the troop everything he or she needs to be successful. After all, they are the Airmen who will replace today’s leaders, and we owe it to them to make sure they are

  • Every Airman is a warrior

    In the early morning hours of Jan. 1, 2005, the first combat patrols of Operation Desert Safeside left the northern perimeter of Balad Air Base, Iraq, and began an aggressive 60-day combat operation to kill or capture insurgents attacking the air base. This was a historic mission for Air Force

  • Airman credits brother-in-law for decision to join

    Most people have a hero or someone they credit for being the person they are today. For me, that person isn’t a teacher, supervisor or parent. While I have had my share of influential people in my life, that credit goes to Senior Airman Jason Cunningham. Before March 4, 2002, I had never seriously

  • Everyone can improve a child’s life

    “I like this year’s African American History Month theme, ‘Reaching out to youth: a strategy for excellence’ because it’s targeting the resources of the future – our children.” For me it ties in with the words of Elie Wiesel, a Jew who was deported by the Nazis to the Auschwitz concentration camp