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Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians

Commentaries

  • I needed to remember Sept. 11

    I wanted to remember. I needed to remember. I recently went and saw the movie "World Trade Center." I mentioned to some co-workers I was going to see the movie and the overwhelming response was "Why?" and "I don't want to relive it." I thought long and hard about going to see the movie, knowing it

  • A force for good

    We remember where we were that day. At 9:38 a.m., the entire Pentagon shook. I went outside and saw the horrific face of war in the 21st century. Those present could feel the heat of the flames and smell the burning jet fuel -- all that remained of American Airlines flight 77. Destruction surrounded

  • Patriot Day: a call to core values

    Today, America is observing Patriot Day, designated by Congress and proclaimed by President George Bush, to commemorate the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Five long and hard years ago, terrorists unleashed unprecedented terror on the U.S., killing more than 3000 people. Some were trapped in doomed

  • How Airmen view service impacts their career

    Each of us, at one time or another, has had someone ask us why we joined the Air Force, or why we continue to serve. There are a lot of different answers to this question, and probably no wrong answers. Each of us has our own reasons. I think it's important that each of us spend some time thinking

  • Eventually, they will all come home

    On this third Friday in September, we recognize and honor those servicemembers who suffered as prisoners of war, and those still missing. We do it for them. More important, we do it for their families, and we do it so every man and woman in uniform today can truly believe in their heart should they

  • Airmen these days

    It's always funny to me when people say, "Airmen these days! They just aren't like the Airmen were when I came in the military." This, of course, is always said with disdain. Ironically, when crusty old master sergeants say that, well, they're right. When I came in the Air Force in the mid-80s,

  • Each Airman is an ambassador

    Most Airmen, regardless of rank or Air Force specialty code, have been asked by a family member or a civilian at one point or another: "So, what type of airplane do you fly?"That happens because many people don't know much about the military. They assume because we're in the Air Force, and the Air

  • Why do we do this to ourselves?

    It's 4:45 a.m. Saturday morning of a unit training assembly weekend and you're the only one awake in your house. You hit the start button on the coffee maker, shower and put on your uniform. You give your spouse or significant other a peck on their still-asleep face, fill up your to-go cup with

  • Your wingman just might save your life

    The telephone rang and broke the silence of the early morning. I reached for it and realized it was 4:32 a.m. Being a squadron commander at the time, I had received dozens of late night phone calls. But this one was very, very different. The caller calmly said, "Sir, this is the wing command post

  • Attending ceremonies part of military tradition

    A couple of months ago, I had the honor of being the presiding officer for a chief master sergeant's retirement ceremony at my squadron. Before the ceremony, I met several times with the chief to talk about what kind of ceremony he wanted. Every time he would say, "Ma'am, whatever you come up with