Commentary Search

  • Why I stay

    For the past few years, I have been asked several times, "Why do you stay in the Air Force?" I have served for 28 great years, and there are many great reasons for staying. Permit me to share with you a few of those reasons. I was born to the proud parents of Staff Sgt. Hampton and Rubye Dillard.

  • Who Is The Most Important Person?

    Being in the Air Force means we are all part of a large, successful organization. Who is the most important person in that organization? Is it your unit commander? Your first sergeant or flight commander? Maybe you're thinking it's you. Consider your unit's organization chart: The commander is

  • Practice makes perfect

    "I guarantee that a nuclear weapon will be exploded on the territory of the US in the next 10 years if more is not done to prevent it," said Gen. Charles Horner, former U.S. Commander of Allied Forces, Gulf War. "There are still thousands of warheads loaded on operational systems and standing on

  • Everyone plays important role in mission

    "Who here has not contributed to the death of Anti Iraqi Forces today?" asked Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe, from the 101st Airborne Division, Air Assault, at Fort Campbell, Ky., every week at the Division Main Operations Center while we were stationed in Iraq. It was a great question, and no one

  • A season to remember: College student shares experiences as summer hire

    Every year, if funding is available, the summer hire program at McConnell allows numerous students from the area to apply for jobs around base. Approximately 100 students applied this summer, and only 37 were selected for positions. As a civilian, with no affiliation with the military, I heard about

  • Are you ready to be expeditionary Airmen?

    Our Air Force is changing. Certain communities in the Air Force have historically deployed more than others, but the need for expeditionary Airmen has grown, and the request for able-bodied men and women of all specialties is a constant. However, not everyone in the Air Force has changed to meet the

  • The Air Force Family Benefit

    This commentary is dedicated to the Air Force family. The men and women we've had the honor and privilege to serve alongside during our careers. I often hear Airmen discuss their military benefits; free medical coverage, opportunity for travel, education, 20 year retirement and more. However, how

  • Venturing into the unknown

    In my 19 years in the Air Force, I have been awarded nine distinct Air Force Specialty Codes and served in more than 20 positions that required skill sets from aircraft maintenance and manpower to navigating the KC-135 Stratotanker. Of those 20 positions, I was formally trained in only four. The

  • Presidential election time approaching, prepare to vote?

    Politics is a topic that should intrigue every individual in the military. After all, it directly affects everything we do - from our pay, which is periodically debated, to the status of the base at which we work, to our health care and benefits, to the military engagements we enter. All these

  • Stay safe this Fourth of July

    To my fellow Airmen celebrating this July Fourth holiday around the globe, thank you for your sacrifice. Two hundred and thirty-one years ago, brave patriots, very much like you, created our nation -- the land of the free. As you proudly wear those broad stripes and bright stars on your uniforms,