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  • Be an agent for change, not a speed bump

    During the United States Air Force's relatively short existence, the maxim, "the only constant in the universe is change," has certainly been applicable to our service's evolution and development. Arguably, there were periods of time when the changes made were slow and deliberate. An example is the decades-long Cold War during which Strategic Air

  • Embrace change as part of life in Air Force

    To many, change is a terrifying thought. Why is that? Many people fear the unknown. They don't normally resist the change being proposed; rather, they resist being changed. The process and psychology of change have been studied for decades. You can find this evidence in numerous books, research papers and Web sites. Just do an Internet search on

  • Take time to remember -- freedom is not free

    Across the wing this past week there's been a buzz about the upcoming holiday weekend. Everyone is ecstatic that Gen. William Looney III, Air Education and Training Command commander, proclaimed Monday as an AETC family day. The weather in northwestern Oklahoma has been absolutely superb, and all of us are looking forward to a well-deserved,

  • HAWC offers true facts about false fad diets

    You've heard the advertisements: "Lose all the weight you want, without diet and exercise!" or "melt those pounds away ... lose up to 30 pounds a month, guaranteed!" The American public is faced with an overwhelming amount of food and nutrition information. Despite the aggressive attempts by the federal government and various national health

  • Air Force -- truly family or fictional epithet?

    Have you noticed that we in the Air Force throw the words "team" and "family" around so loosely they seem to lose their meaning and become a cliché we immediately ignore? Well, this month I entered my 17th year as an Airman, and I would like to test those words against my experiences from an E-1 straight out of high school to a chaplain finishing

  • Summer heat calls for local outdoor activities

    Happy Friday Team Vance! And congratulations to our newest Air Force and Navy pilots. I wish you the best in your careers serving our great country. As evident by the increase in temperature, the billowing thunderstorms in the afternoon, and the late night sounds of the wheat harvest, summer has arrived in northwest Oklahoma. With summer comes

  • Will you carve your name on parchment, stone or hearts?

    What will the epitaph on your headstone read: Parchment? stone? or hearts? I have heard it said there are three ways we write our name in life, or make ourselves known, to leave a legacy. We write our names either on parchment, in stone or on the hearts of people. How do you write your name? First, we could write our name on parchment. In Luke's

  • Set goals to achieve desires in life

    When people come into life skills and family advocacy we ask them to set goals. How will you know you have achieved your goal? What are you hoping will be different? What do you want to remain the same? What will your life look like after having achieved this goal? Goals help us focus and streamline what we are doing in our lives and give us a

  • Combination coach, cheerleader and mentor develops top resource, completes mission

    One of my old chiefs had a large sign on his wall with the following saying, "Lead, Follow or Get the H*** Out of the Way." This saying has been repeated by practically every officer and noncommissioned officer. It is a simple phrase communicating a very powerful message, lead the team, be part of the team or just leave. A great deal has changed

  • Keep up with the brass, link to Air Force Web sites

    We do important work here at Vance Air Force Base. Sometimes, we focus so much on our work that we forget about the larger Air Force beyond our fences. Understanding how we fit into that larger Air Force becomes easier if we keep up with current topics, know our leaders and read about where we're heading. There's a lot going on out there, and it's
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