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  • What is a good wingman?

    Sitting next to my first sergeant in a hospital waiting room while Urgent Care Center staff took care of my friend was not where I expected to be at 5 a.m. on a Sunday morning.As I recalled the story of the previous night, nothing really seemed out of the ordinary. It was a Saturday night and my

  • How much would you spend to save your life?

    What's your life worth? One-million dollars? Maybe a few hundred thousand? What if I told you something that cost me $19.99 saved my life?That was the cost of the bicycle helmet I bought two years ago, and it recently proved to be much more valuable to me.I was doing what a lot of us at Osan do --

  • Chaplain's Corner: Asking for guidance on heaven's level

    Very recently, JBER participated in a weeklong exercise. Many of you readers responded to injects, processed through deployment lines, responded to attacks, worked extra hours or nights, or maybe walked through fresh snow on post attack reconnaissance sweeps. No matter your level of involvement,

  • "Ready to Fight Tonight!" is not just a catch phrase

    What does it really mean to be ready to fight tonight? Remember why you're here. As we've learned throughout history, the element of surprise is vital to the success of warfare. If the siren sounds at 3 a.m. on Sunday morning, would you be ready to perform your duties? In some cases, alcohol will be

  • An Earth-felt invitation - Earth Day 2013

    Earth Day began 43 years ago in 1970. It was an invitation from the United States to the rest of the world to bring people together and organize solutions to the environmental issues that affected our future. America extended an invitation for others to join, and the world accepted. Now Earth Day

  • The power of 'no'

    In all the experience I've had in my Air Force career, I'll admit I've mostly been told 'yes.' And while I loved hearing that word, because it meant I was chosen or that I'd finally achieved my goal, it's the 'no's' that have had a greater impact on me and pushed me to exceed beyond anything else.As

  • Mentors have responsibility to 'pay it forward'

    Motivational speaker Blake Beattie once said "Sail beyond the horizon, fly higher than you ever thought possible, magnify your existence by helping others, be kind to people and animals of all shapes and sizes, be true to what you value most, shine your light on the world, and be the person you were

  • Toe to 'Iwo To' with professional development

    Often in our careers we hear about the importance of professional development and how imperative it is to our personal growth, as well as in helping us develop as Airmen. Recently I had the honor of accompanying about 40 men and women from the 18th Medical Group on a trip to the island of Iwo To,

  • Bilateral partnership opens eyes to opportunities

    As the blue bus pulled up to where I was waiting, my heartbeat quickened in nervous anticipation of the eight Japan Air Self Defense Force members who would be this year's NCO Bilateral Exchange partners.Coordinated annually by Senior Master Sgt. Rob Miller, 718th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron lead

  • Dental reminds Yokota importance of oral health

    February is National Children's Dental Health Month, but dental health should be our focus year round. It is an appalling statistic that dental decay is the most common chronic infectious disease in children. However, with proper practices at home and regular check ups, cavities are completely