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  • Mission first

    Mission-ready has become mission-first at any cost

    During the Resilience Tactical Pause in August, I had the chance to reflect on resiliency and the state of today’s Air Force. To me, it seems our status of always being ready turned into the mission coming first at any cost.
  • Troop 11

    Boy Scout Troop 11 tours Vance, learns about mission up close

    Boy Scout Troop 11 toured Vance Air Force Base, Wednesday, July 31.
  • Sign

    Extending base-community ties through art, technology

    The “Vance experience” is often described as being similar to a remote tour, just stateside. That definition alludes to the strong relationships that are formed at Vance.

  • 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.
  • Lt Col Perry

    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.
  • T-6

    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.
  • Lt Col Perry

    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!”
  • Lt. Col. Nathan Perry, 71st Operations Support Squadron director of operations (U.S Air Force photo/ Mr. Terry Wasson)

    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.
  • T-6 inflight

    Riding a roller coaster with camera in hand

    “I doubt that plane will make me throw up. I have a strong stomach.”
  • TSgt Feliz

    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.
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