• Deployment -- It is what you make of it

    Since joining the Air Force, I have often heard the saying, “it is what you make of it.” The base is what you make of it. The job is what you make of it. And most recently, a deployment is what you make of it.

  • Seen it done before (3 of 3) - Pride

    The day was bone chilling with a foot of snow. A three-day-old bull calf was bawling, stuck in a ravine, his leg broken. Momma cow, ears perked, was anxiously pacing and ready for any threat. Dad was there, but I was 18 years old and had seen it done before.

  • The sound of freedom: Is it louder than usual?

    Since 1941, the roar of military aircraft in the sky has been a part of daily life in Enid, Oklahoma. An increase in the number of student pilots training at Vance Air Force Base and seasonal weather patterns may make that roar seem even louder lately.

  • Seen it done before (2 of 3) – Proficiency

    The day was balmy with huge cumulus clouds. My Angus show steer at the local county fair outweighed me 13:1. As I led him front and center to receive a Reserve Champion ribbon he was startled by applause from the crowd. My Dad has always said, “Hold onto that lead rope no matter what!”

  • Seen it done before (1 of 3) - Confidence

    The day was overcast but breezy. She was struggling to survive in the cold but doing her best. I was only 10 years old but had seen it done before. Covered in mud, I pulled. She pushed. And a baby bull calf was born before my eyes.

  • Reflections on an Air Force career

    There are many reasons people enlist in the military. Whatever those reasons are, they are usually most important at the beginning. As time passes and one matures, you learn to appreciate many other aspects of military service.

  • Know that you are ready

    There are Vance Airmen, current and alumni, playing a critical role in the day-to-day fight to decimate ISIS.