19 Mar 2008

Challenge Equals Opportunity

More than 28,000 wounded service members have returned from Afghanistan and Iraq and more than 600 of these heroes have lost a limb; 100 plus with multiple limbs lost, additionally hundreds return severely burned. With the challenge these members face, it's imperative we keep faith with each of them by continuing to hold them close in our thoughts

13 Mar 2008

No job is more important than the one you serve now

There is a reason why you are assigned to your current military or civilian position. It may be due to a personal decision, a supervisory or leadership decision, or divine intervention. Either way you fulfilling an Air Force requirement and you have been identified to perform that specific duty. However, it is what you do with that position that

6 Mar 2008

Delegation and Empowerment

In my opinion, we as an Air Force have been optimized for our mission for the past few years. If you have been serving sixteen years or more, you have seen our numbers draw down from a force of more than 600,000 people to a force of about 340,000. At the same time, our mission has not diminished in a similar fashion. Instead the mission, or

6 Mar 2008

AMC Wing Commander Message: Next Generation Tanker

To the men and women of Air Mobility Command, On Feb. 29, it was my pleasure to join with the Secretary of the Air Force and the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition in announcing the award of the contract to build the next generation tanker, the KC-45A. It was really a great day for AMC, our Air Force, and America. As you know, the

27 Feb 2008

Professionalism: Connecting the Dots

Surveys continue to tell us that the military ranks at the top of what people consider "trusted professionals." We are also members of the "profession of arms." So what does the word professional mean? What does it mean when someone says, "Be a professional?" Some think of professionalism as a laundry list of things we should do: keep your uniform

21 Feb 2008

Thank you Team McConnell

I would like to begin my first of what I hope to be many articles in this publication by simply saying "Thank You." Thank you for the very warm welcome you extended to me and my family. Robin, Taylor, Starner, Mari, and I are extremely excited to be here and become part of the McConnell family. This is our first Kansas adventure and we are ecstatic

21 Feb 2008

Attitude

As we approach the Operational Readiness Inspection, but more importantly as we approach each day, I wanted to pass on a quote and a story that makes a huge impact on how I try to approach life. Both describe a slightly different way to look at one simple word - Attitude. "The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

13 Feb 2008

Commanding or in-command?

For active leadership -If any of you are in-command, but how many of you are commanding? There is a difference. During a change of command ceremony, when the incoming commander takes the unit guidon, that individual is taking more than a stick with a flag attached to it. He or she is taking responsibility and accountability for every individual and

6 Feb 2008

Secrets to Success

I am often asked "What can I do to become a Chief someday?" The tips that I am giving may not make you a chief, but will lead to an enjoyable, successful career, whatever rank you attain. Tips for all Airmen: Be on time. Be 15 minutes early to everything; whether it's showing up for work, an appointment, and especially to Weighted Airman Promoted

24 Jan 2008

Are you honing your leadership skills?

Happy New Year to Team McConnell. We certainly have many challenges ahead of us as we gear up for our continued support of the Global War On Terrorism, the execution of day-to-day operations, and the plethora of Air Mobility Command inspections our wing will face in this year. Our success in the new year will be dependent in part on our ability to