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  • Eielson: Making the best better

    As noted well outside our confines here, in less than a year, the 18th Aggressor Squadron transformed from a go-to-war mission to a team dedicated to providing the best adversary training in the Air Force, and indeed the world! A significant element of this transformation lies in the ability to

  • If it is to be, it is up to me

    If it is to be, it is up to me! Repeat this phrase a couple of times. What do you think it means? I heard these 10 most important two-letter words at the NCO Academy. At first, they didn't really mean a whole lot to any of us. But as the discussion went on, it became apparent this would be something

  • Motivation through sense of purpose

    Our mission to ensure air superiority is clear, but not everyone sees how they fit into the process. It is up to every Air Force leader, anyone who is a supervisor, to ensure people working in their unit understand the role they play in accomplishing the larger mission. Everyone needs to know how

  • Are you a praying person?

    If someone asked you if you are a praying person, how would you answer that question? I imagine some people would answer "yes," some would answer "no," and some would want a better definition on what is meant by prayer. Prayer is that conscious or unconscious comment, recognition, or conversation

  • Every day is a parade

    When I was going through Officer Training School, my flight commander told us that every day was a parade. People were watching us, they were judging us, they were expecting us to always be sharp and focused. Any breach of protocol or breakdown in discipline would be noticed, and from which

  • Make a difference and never, ever quit

    Are you a sports fan? When you cheer for your team, do you want them to have a .500 season -- an equal number of wins and losses? Or do you want them to win the championship? When you joined the Air Force, did you want to be a part of the world's most average Air Force, or did you want to be a part

  • Our sacrifices are not made in vain

    Staff Sgt. Travis L Griffin, a security force Airman from the 377th Security Forces Squadron, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, was killed by an improvised explosive device in one of Baghdad's most violent neighborhoods April 3. Sergeant Griffin was serving a one-year deployment training the

  • Maintain the Warrior Spirit

    Let me start by saying that the ideas presented in this article are nothing new. I hope that most of it will sound very familiar to all of you. In fact, the following is basically a rewrite of a lesson plan we used back at Base-X 10 years ago but it is just as applicable here today as it was there

  • The reality of sexual assault - it can happen to anyone

    As a father of a teenage daughter, one of my greatest concerns is the thought of her dating. Many dads may agree with me when I say, "no guy will ever be good enough for my daughter," but the reality is, it's not my choice to make. I've had many talks with her about the male perspective and what I

  • Your AORs

    Most active duty personnel are familiar with the acronym AOR. It means Area of Responsibility, right? But for this article, I'd like to consider it to mean something a bit different - Assignment of Responsibility. The difference? An assignment is more personal and individual. You could think of it