• Create your own persistence and resilience

    My wife tells me all the time that "everything happens for a reason." It is one of her resiliency statements.When I look back at my life and analyze it, everything did fall in place as it was intended to.It took me twelve years to go from airman, to NCO, to officer -- to go from 21 college credit

  • Entropy: the natural order is disorder

    In the 1860s and 1870s, Austrian physicist and philosopher Ludwig Boltzmann and German physicist Rudolf Clausius radically challenged prevailing academic thought and gave birth to the Second Law of Thermodynamics.Boltzmann and Clausius' experiential research led to the revolutionary concept that

  • Work Overload! What I learned on the slopes of Aconcagua

    Breathe, breathe, breathe. Step. Breathe, breathe, breathe. Step. It's about 4 a.m. on a cool February morning, and I'm presently at 19,200 feet on Aconcagua, Argentina, the highest point in the Southern and Western Hemispheres. I'm part of a team of 13 climbers. Today is our summit day.There are

  • Conquer fear, live your dream!

    Are you living the Dream?Do you wake up with energy each morning or do you need an energy drink to get you going?If you constantly hit your snooze alarm, wake with no energy, low self-esteem, lots of coffee, mountain dew and or energy drinks, drag yourself to work, can't wait for the clock to

  • Total Force concepts support long-term operational success

    Do you know that Vance has a squadron of Air Force Reserve Instructor Pilots who train student pilots in support of the 71st Flying Training Wing's mission?Many do not. Along with Laughlin, Columbus, Sheppard and Randolph Air Force Bases and the Air Force Academy, Vance is part of the Integrated

  • Make a list, check it twice: Ensure your day counts!

    Start now and make today count. That is how I ended my last commentary. Each day is a gift, and we need to ensure we make every day count to the fullest. But with everything else in life, many people do not know how or where to start.You could buy a book that will "tell" you how to reach the stars,

  • My name is Faith Odom, and this is my story

    Growing up, my uncle was always my best friend. I looked up to him. He was my role model. After time, he passed. It was a very difficult time in my life.When I got to high school and had to start thinking about my future, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do with my life. I've always

  • Thoughts on "Support and Defend the Constitution of the United States"

    I, (Full Name) having been appointed a (Rank) in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this

  • Be fit, be firm, be fair, have fun – a Chief’s guide for success

    I entered the Air Force when I was 19 years old as an airman basic and learned early on that success was achievable. I learned, and put into practice, four simple attributes that helped me get to where I am now. Be fit, be firm, be fair and most importantly -- have fun.Be Fit. Being fit is more than

  • Understand deliberate development

    According to AFI 36-2618, paragraph 5.1.6, senior NCOs must, "Deliberately develop junior enlisted Airmen, NCOs, and fellow Senior NCOs into better followers, leaders, and supervisors."My Air Force story begins with a senior master sergeant who had a reputation for being extremely strict and mean.