• 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

  • To be stereotyped as an Airman...

    When we hear the word "stereotype," we tend to attach negative connotations to it. After a conversation I had a few months ago, that word changed for me.In late March, my wife Kelly and I attended a course at Randolph AFB, Texas, as part of our preparation for squadron command. The course was a week

  • Balancing the five Fs -- faith, family, fitness, fun, force

    "Dad, don't forget you promised to take us to the new 'Cars' movie." "Honey, next week is Vacation Bible School; make sure you update your calendar." Hot... quarterly awards...colonel promotion recommendation forms... volunteers needed for... due by close of business today! "No, I didn't make it to

  • Developing our future force

    It has been almost six months since Teresa and I arrived at Air Education and Training Command. Since that time, we have traveled to a number of our AETC bases. Simply put, we are very impressed with the men and women throughout the command executing our mission.The breadth of our responsibility to

  • Mentorship: It is second nature at Vance AFB

    Over the past couple of months, Vance has seen its share of leaders depart. Fellow squadron commanders have handed over the guidon and at each of these ceremonies, the words mentor and mentorship have been spoken about the outgoing commander.Additionally, the primary enlisted mentor on base, Chief