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  • Where the mission starts

    When you look out at the flightline and see maintainers preparing aircraft for launch, or see an aircraft being repaired in a hangar, you may think that's where the mission starts. I held those views for 22 years, until I had the privilege to become the 22nd Maintenance Operations Squadron

  • Keeping your organization strong

    Members of different private organizations have recently approached me with the same question, "How can I bring back the strength my organization once possessed?" Every organization, whether it's a private club, sports team or military unit, will experience trials and tribulations that shake their

  • Critical Days of Summer 2011

    Every year the Air Force, as a whole, makes it a point to focus our attention on safety during the Critical Days of Summer, which is defined as the days between Memorial and Labor Days. As that time nears, I always look forward to the warm weather and family fun that signals summer is here. But, did

  • Privatized housing coming to McConnell

    Privatized housing is coming soon to McConnell! The highest ranked offeror has been selected for the Continental Group Military Housing Privatization Initiative project. On May 7, 2011, the Air Force announced Picerne Military Housing as the developer of the MHPI project that encompasses six bases

  • Surviving: My first few weeks as a McConnell Airman

    After 21 hours of driving westward across the United States with more than a thousand pounds of my personal belongings crammed in my SUV, I arrived at McConnell to officially begin my job as a public affairs specialist. I made it as far as the main gate before my stomach started to rumble with the

  • Teamwork, Toughness, Positive Mental Attitude: Keys to our nation's demands

    "Tough times don't last.. Tough people do," said Fisher DeBerry, one of the Air Force Academy's most memorable football coaches, who used this as a catch phrase to inspire his players to dig deep when the odds were stacked against us or when our team was facing overwhelming challenges. Though we

  • Embrace change

    One of my favorite quotes comes from Jerry Rice, "Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't." In order to accomplish greater feats, changes are often required.Change is something we hear about and must deal with all the time. Generally, people do not like

  • Superior Warfighter Support -- McConnell knows Airpower

    When Operation Odyssey Dawn began on the night of March 19, the men and women of McConnell proved their ability to provide "Ready Mobility" and "Ready Airmen" from a "Ready Base." On short notice, Team McConnell rapidly deployed KC-135 Stratotankers, aircrews and maintainers to an air base in

  • You answered the call

    Greetings Team McConnell. Airpower! What an amazing couple of months we've had. While we continued providing Ready Mobility and Airmen to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, we executed a robust exercise schedule to be prepared to support U.S. Strategic Command and respond to unforeseen

  • Training over experience

    The 22nd Maintenance Group posted a very successful March in the record books. The team achieved a Home Station Logistics Departure Reliability rate of 95 percent, all while supporting one of the busiest flying schedules of the year, a deployment to Operation Odyssey Dawn and increases in personnel