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  • Col. Tim Gibson, 71st Mission Support Group commander

    Every Airman brings a skill set crucial to the Vance mission

    "There's the snap. The quarterback steps back, turns to his right and hands off to the half back. He dives up the middle. He scores!!"Those words are repeated any number of times during a football season and at any level of the game from Pop Warner to the pros. Invariably, the focus of attention after a successful scoring play like this is the
  • Lt. Col. Sabina C. Garrett, 71st Medical Support Squadron commander

    A cut above all others

    One of my fellow squadron commanders recently wrote an outstanding article on the importance of being both a strong leader and follower. He was right on the mark.The traits of leadership and followership are gained through training, experience and lessons learned as we encounter both success and failure in our lives. It is so exciting to see the
  • Chief Master Sgt. Jeffrey Griner, 71st Medical Group Superintendent

    It is your responsibility…

    In the last month or so I have come across several violations of AFI 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel. These were not just subtle violations, like hands in the pockets during cold weather, that you do without really thinking about.The violations I am talking about are willful, thought-out violations that members of my
  • Lt. Col. Dwain Kuehl, 5th Flying Training Squadron commander

    What about followership?

    Twenty-five years ago this summer, I started basic training at the U.S. Air Force Academy and was quickly taught how to adjust to military life. I learned about marching, wearing a uniform and military customs and courtesies.Each and every lesson learned seemed to come back to the importance of followership. I have to admit that over the years I
  • Lt. Col. J. David Bottomlee, 3rd Fighter Training Squadron commander

    Fight the fade

    At the end of his esteemed military and political service, one of the Founding Fathers of America, George Washington, wrote to Alexander Hamilton, "I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of 'an honest man'."General Washington desired the title of "an honest
  • Maj. Jim Annexstad, 71st Flying Training Wing Staff Judge Advocate

    Consilium, Virtus, Justicia: Guiding principles for living the core values

    This will be my last commentary as the Staff Judge Advocate at Vance. It seems like only yesterday I was trying to come up with the first one.Over the last two years, I have written commentary about leading by example, true leadership and finally about working smarter. In this last commentary, I want to share the JAG Corps guiding principles:
  • Lt. Col. William Browne, 25th Flying Training Squadron commander

    Our trials are small compared to our purpose

    Maj. Gen. Robin Rand reminded me of an important lesson a few weeks ago. During his lunch with Vance squadron commanders, he said the most important thing for us to remember is this: don't get jaded.This won't be a shock to many, but sometimes I get jaded. And let me be perfectly honest -- although I'll admit to a predisposition towards the
  • Mike Strickler, the Public Affairs director at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and his granddaughter, Zoe, read a bedtime story last December. Twenty-five years prior, his daughter Stephanie (below left) and son Michael motivated him to earn his first Community College of the Air Force degree. (Courtesy photos)

    My CCAF journey

    I sat down hard on the bed in our small Wiesbaden apartment when the news came: child number two was on the way and I knew, right then, that I had to get my collective together.It was January 1985, cold and sunny, and Kim and I just stared at each other. Child number one was strolling through the house with huge Garfield slippers on, the joy of our
  • Maj. Douglas Hayes, 71st Communications Squadron commander

    R-E-S-P-E-C-T

    We are all Airmen who have taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. We serve the greatest country in the world in the greatest Air Force in the world.We are a diverse country and our military is a direct reflection of our diverse population. Respect is the key to our Air Force professionalism and culture. However,
  • Lt. Col. Michael Merritt, 33rd Flying Training Squadron commander

    Don't forget to bring your 'A' game every day

    In his commentary two weeks ago my colleague and fellow commander, Lt. Col. Dave "Sparky" Merritt, 71st Operations Support Squadron, said that we all need to "bring our A game every day" and to "never quit." He is absolutely right.Taking a macro-view of current headlines, it would be very easy with storylines focused on the Facebook phenomenon and
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