• AF women's symposium highlights many 'firsts'

    In October, I was one of five women selected to represent Vance at the inaugural Air Force Women's Symposium held in Springfield, Va., and it is one of the highlights of my career. The theme for the event was "they invented the wheel, it's up to us to keep it going," but the conference's official

  • Improve situational awareness for February's ORI

    The Operational Readiness Inspection team will be here less than one year from now, and it is going to take some effort to get the base prepared to welcome and host the Air Education and Training Command Inspector General team Feb 22. Over the next few months, you will start to hear more and more

  • Education key to success in Air Force, life

    I was honored to be the guest speaker for Embry Riddle Aeronautical University's recent graduation because I believe that education is vital to personal and professional growth. I modified my speech from that day to share with my fellow Team Vance members. I believe an educational journey begins

  • College education - a benefit too good to pass up

    During a recent visit from Chief Master Sgt. Robert Tappana, 19th Air Force command chief, the subject of off-duty education came up several times. Chief Tappana was very clear in that his view is that our education benefits are "money on the table." In other words, our education benefits are so

  • Top ten things I learned in the Air Force

    While I have been very pleased with my military life, I would like to pass along the some of the top things I have learned along the way that could benefit others. 1. The first is to "be prepared," and it should be everyone's motto. I've seen people deploy without uniforms because their civilian

  • Are we changing again?

    If there is one constant with our modern society and work place, it would be change. Have you gone through a week without being affected by change? I'd expect probably not. Some changes are small and almost unnoticeable. Others are larger and many times more disruptive. Regardless of their position,

  • A-I-R-M-A-N: What it means to me

    AIRMAN is a powerful six-letter word that has been used in the Air Force since its inception in September 1947. It is one of our official enlisted ranks and until recently, we used the term when we referred to our enlisted corps. We, meaning the Air Force, have been criticized by some inside and out

  • Are you a gardener?

    Are you a gardener? Seems like a strange question to ask. But in reality, gardening and leadership have a lot in common. As we explore this concept, I will share some true stories with you. One of the first things a gardener does is prepare the soil before planting. This sets the stage for

  • History relevant for Air Force mission, future

    At the beginning of a speech he gave after becoming Air Force chief of staff, Gen. T. Michael Moseley spoke of Frank Andrews, Hap Arnold, Ira Eaker, and Tooey Spaatz and cited historic groups like the Lafayette Escadrille, the Tuskegee Airmen and the Doolittle Raiders. General Moseley did this

  • Perseverance necessary for Airmen in the GWOT

    Recently, while at a command conference in San Antonio, I attended briefings by Air Force Personnel Center specialists explaining why Air Expeditionary Force deployments were being extended from 120 to 179 days. Although these briefings were interesting, the message was not well received by junior