• Expectations of commander assignment surpassed

    I took command of the 71st Operations Support Squadron "Ghostriders," Dec. 9, 2005, and it seems that in the blink of an eye I am already facing my June 14 outgoing change of command. My time as squadron commander has far surpassed any experience I could have ever anticipated. I will take this

  • Take responsibility for the safety of your family, your friends and yourself

    Just step outside and you know summer is here. And, with the lure of summer fun, Team Vance members will face the increased risk of mishaps as we enter the 101 critical days of summer between May 25 and Sept. 4. Although the 101 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day account for just over a quarter

  • Tremendous responsibility on military to win

    My fellow military members, I have just a few weeks left in command here at Vance AFB and before I leave here, I wanted to thank you all for your dedicated service to our country. As you well know, our nation is as war and the responsibility placed on our military services is tremendous. Your

  • How to develop resiliency

    In late March, I had the great fortune to meet Dr. Al Siebert, author of The Resiliency Advantage, at a leadership seminar in Oklahoma City. Doctor Siebert is internationally recognized for his research into the inner nature of highly resilient survivors. His research also peers into the public

  • A call to arms - embrace change

    When I was half way through the T-37 phase of pilot training at Williams Air Force Base, Ariz., the leadership called us into the base theater and informed us that because of the post Gulf War draw down they would be changing the way the assignment process worked. At the end of pilot training only

  • Good time isn’t worth risking bright future

    It's time for those of you who like to party hard and "push it up" during your off-duty time to take a hard look at your lifestyle. We've had 9 alcohol-related incidents in the last four months here at Vance AFB. Almost without exception, they involve members who are under the age of 30 and, almost

  • No Place In Today's Air Force For Potemkin Villages

    Historically, the term "Potemkin Village" has been used to describe the purported, fake village settlements erected at the direction of Russian minister Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin to mislead and at the same time make an impression on Catherine II during her tour of the Crimea in 1787. Legend

  • Work hard, play smart

    After seven alcohol related incidents since the beginning of 2007, I sat down to pen an article on responsible behavior. As I conducted my research about how over the years binge drinking has become prevalent in our high schools and colleges, I discovered this article by the 66th Air Base Wing

  • Airmen Should Communicate AF Story and Priorities

    In August 2006, Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne sent a Letter to Airmen entitled, "Every Airman a Communicator." In this letter, Secretary Wynne expressed how important it is for every Airman to be able to tell the Air Force story. He said, "Your active involvement in this communications

  • Building A Culture of Responsible Choices

    Through personal experiences, many of us have seen that the end result of making irresponsible decisions can be very negative. During the recent wingman day, Col. Richard Klumpp, Jr., 71st Flying Training Wing commander, spoke on the importance of building a Culture of Responsible Choices or CoRC