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Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians

Commentaries

  • Wounded warriors help cancer survivor cycle to recovery

    Last week, I hit the 2.5 year mark of being cancer free, and in that time I have been learning to accept the "new normal" that comes with that. Not everything will be as it was, but I do know that the Air Force that I serve in will be there to ensure I'm taken care of. Earlier this year, I was

  • Why integrity first?

    "In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence and energy. And if they don't have the first, the other two will kill you." -- Warren Buffet, the chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway.A number of years ago, while interviewing for a flying assignment, I

  • Taking the 'Air Force family' to a new level

    "Someone's knocking at the door again! Is it really time to go to breakfast?" Those words crossed my mind many times, early in the morning as I woke to find the "Air Force mafia" standing outside my room. I would quickly grab my cover and step outside into the hazy Afghanistan morning. Every morning

  • Follow-through: a necessity for communication

    Recent sporting events reminded me of the importance of follow-through to guarantee results. Whether it was a golf swing at the British Open, a tennis swing at Wimbledon or an at-bat in a baseball game, good form and follow-through are needed to achieve results. Each athlete practices countless

  • Why I do what we do

    Taking command of the United States Air Force Band on the heels of the Memorial Day weekend was especially sobering and humbling. As I walked with my mom and dad among the memorials here in Washington and visited the site where my uncle and aunt rest in Arlington National Cemetery, I was reminded of

  • 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

  • I'll call him "Rick"

    I'll call him "Rick." In the words of his military friends and co-workers, Rick was one of the greatest guys you'd ever want to meet: A hard working NCO in a high operations tempo unit, a family man, a compassionate friend always seeking opportunities to help others in his unit succeed. Rick was

  • The intellectual resource

    Today, we are approaching nine years of sustained combat operations. Many could even argue that our Air Force has been involved in continuous combat operations since the original Gulf War in 1991. Even more challenging, today's combat operations are being conducted while the rest of the nation

  • It's not the fall, it's the recovery

    As commanders, we must contend with hard decisions when it comes to determining and delivering punishment to our subordinates. Some of the tough questions we have to answer are: Does the punishment fit the crime? Should it be judicial or non-judicial punishment? What impact will the punishment have

  • 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 would not have become "the Great" without him.It is 334 B.C., and the 22-year-old Macedonian