HomeNewsCommentaries

Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians

Commentaries

  • Air power: A team sport defined

    As I look back on my first two weeks as the wing commander and Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission -- Air director, I have to say as proud as I was to join the team, I become even more proud as I truly start to grasp the breadth and depth of what we, as an Air Force, do every day. It is ironic that

  • High tech, low level, close call

    There I was -- flying a mighty C-17 Globemaster III at 400 MPH, 500 feet above a canyon floor in the Colorado backcountry. It doesn't get any more awesome than that. Mountains rose up on both sides of our flight path as we hid our aircraft from a simulated adversary among the high terrain. My crew

  • Development projects: Seeing progress first hand

    One would think that measuring progress in a war-torn country would be easy, especially in the civil engineering realm where we traditionally measure progress by dollars spent, miles of roads opened and numbers of buildings constructed. After all, when you start with no real infrastructure to speak

  • The supervisor's role in success

    An organization's culture is the combination of the tangible and intangible factors that determine the long-term success of a unit. Examples of these factors include communication, respect, pride, performance and perhaps, most importantly, morale. Excellent morale can ensure unit cohesiveness and

  • What motivates you?

    You know what motivates me? A Chinese buffet with plenty to eat and a reasonable price, or a $5 Kentucky Fried Chicken all-you-can-eat buffet full of baked chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans, or even a seafood buffet with shrimp and fish, especially on a Friday. What also motivates me is the

  • Military professionalism and ethics

    I had the privilege to speak last week at the National Defense University's Conference on Military Professionalism, a forum I called for in order to discuss what the military is, what it has become and what it should be.I view this not as merely a one-day event, but the beginning of an ongoing

  • Leaving a lasting impression

    As service members, we can meet hundreds, if not thousands, of people throughout a career. Some of the people you will meet will leave lasting impressions that will influence and guide you professionally and personally. Perhaps it is a commander, a first sergeant, a supervisor or a strong NCO. For

  • Sacrifice #384

    It was one of the coldest mornings of the winter season thus far, when we gathered at the Black Hills National Cemetery. The temperature was a scant 14 degrees and the winds made it feel sub-zero. I was one of hundreds who sacrificed the warmth of his or her home on this Saturday morning to honor

  • Saying no to 'yes men'

    You've seen them, I've seen them, we've all seen them -- the "yes men". You know who I'm talking about; the person who's the first to agree with the boss, the one who has that special knack for catering to the ego. The one who says things like, "Sir, yes sir, two bags full". OK, maybe they don't say

  • Be who you ought to be

    This month, we celebrate the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., toward equal rights for all Americans. Dr. King was an amazing leader with a remarkable message that I simply cannot summarize in a short commentary. However, as I listened to our MLK celebration guest speaker, he said