• Love has a language - five in fact

    We were blind May 17, 1986 -- our wedding day. Sharon and I expressed traditional wedding vows to each other without fully understanding what we were doing.We said, "I take you," but we failed to see that "you" included our respective families of origin.We said, "To have and to hold," but we failed

  • Force management programs -- threat or opportunity?

    I started as a cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1991, just as the Gulf War was wrapping up. The Air Force was about to enter a Reduction in Force.As I began my career of Air Force service I saw significant reduction to our force structure. Cadets that were nearly guaranteed a pilot training

  • Making today count

    There are a lot of changes happening within the Air Force today as well as the continued debates in our government concerning the future of all military personnel.With debates on military benefits that range from medical care to retirement pay, and with the looming force reduction boards, it would

  • Vance AFSA Chapter 990 -- a year in review

    What a year for Chapter 990 of the Air Force Sergeants Association at Vance.Every AFSA chapter is charged with ensuring folks know the importance of being a registered voter, the impact of effective letter writing campaigns, and just getting down in the weeds to recruit members. This chapter has

  • Military justice – a tradition of change

    The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2014 brings with it several substantive changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.There are some key changes in the act. It eliminations the five-year statute of limitation for rape and sexual assault cases. Victims have the option to

  • Honest feedback – slowly becoming a lost art

    The digital age has brought many benefits to our daily lives and enabled much of our wartime capabilities that make us what we are today.However, the digital age is a two-edged sword which I believe is slowly degrading our face-to-face communication skills.Yes I will admit, the digital world of

  • Safety -- an important part of a happy holiday season

    For many, the word "safety" connotes mandatory briefings, computer-based training, paperwork and a funny video or two.Given its importance to the mission of Vance Air Force Base, this one word should be intrinsic to your daily life instead of being the afterthought it sometimes becomes.As the new

  • Continuous process improvement -- start a movement!

    Common concerns echo across the business landscape: "our people are already overworked"..."we wear several hats simultaneously"..."I can't give up any more personnel without failure."There are no magical answers to these challenges. However, you've heard one very likely solution that goes by

  • Lead, Empower, Develop -- fostering great leaders

    Hey you! Yes you. Have you led?Before answering that question you really need to understand the meaning of the question. I'm not talking about being atop an organizational chart, serving as a supervisor or being assigned as the action officer.If you have held any of those positions then

  • Leadership according to mom and dad

    There's no question that leadership is in high demand.Given the political rhetoric calling for leadership in Congress, and commanders at various levels being relieved of command for loss of confidence, it's no wonder the topic continues to surface almost daily.One can make the case that leaders are