• Are you ready to graduate?

    Are you ready to graduate? If you're in Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 10-08, then I'd hope the answer is yes; but that is a different issue. Also, I'm not referring to high school, college or even professional military education.I'm talking about the well-touted "graduation

  • Lorenz on Leadership -- Motivation

    These are challenging times for our Air Force. We have been engaged in combat operations since 1990 and are balancing limited resources against an aggressive operations tempo. We are once again adjusting to maintain our authorized end strength while juggling priorities within a leveling budget. Many

  • Know your history to understand yourself

    Have you ever gone to an historic battlefield? Have you ever researched your family history to discover how your family story intersects our nation's history? History is more than knowing dates on a timeline; it provides a context for understanding yourself and others. When I was in elementary

  • Where is my trophy?

    Finally, winter is over and with the arrival of spring comes camping, barbequing and most important, spring training.Opening day means that summer-league baseball tryouts are right around the corner. Well, at least that's the way it was when I was growing up. Nowadays, tryouts are a thing of the

  • Showing your true colors

    Not long ago my squadron was kicking around a few ideas on what we wanted to accomplish during 2010. As we explored the subject of staff development, we came to a strong agreement that we needed to put more time and effort into developing our civilian and contractor staff. After all, one-third of

  • First Command: AETC first to influence Airmen

    To the men and women of the First Command, I leave Air Education and Training Command after spending the past 20 months honored to be your vice commander. Boy, have you taught me a lot! Thank you. Thank you for your tremendous devotion, service and professionalism. We call ourselves the First

  • Opportunities change with the weather

    We would never know it from last weekend's weather but spring has arrived. It seems to me that we recognize spring and fall as times of change, almost as if they are underrated months of the year and only serve as an adjective leading us into summer and winter.Many people consider these two

  • Why do things that can be fixed stay broke

    Have you ever seen something that needs fixed in our Air Force? Have you ever wondered why someone doesn't come along and take care it? Have you ever wondered why things that can obviously be improved stay broke?Truthfully, it's ironic that the U.S. Air Force, of all organizations, would have this

  • Learning to speak the five leadership languages

    This past year I read a book called "The 5 Love Languages" by Gary Chapman. As a long time marriage counselor, he has determined that love is generally spoken in five languages: words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service and physical touch.Through his counseling sessions,

  • How to make rank – do the right thing for the right reason

    Ever since I pinned on Chief, I have been asked a number of times -- "What does it take to make Chief?" After some consideration, my answer has always been -- "Do the right thing for the right reason."That answer usually brings a look of puzzlement. Let me explain.After you have been in the Air