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  • You wouldn’t fly without ‘strapping in,’ would you?

    We all have our pet peeves, and mine admittedly is seat belt use and safety in general. As a trainer, supervisor, flight superintendent, and presently first sergeant, one of my many concerns is the safety and well being of my Airmen, peers and supervisors. Some of my experience comes from being an instructor for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation,

  • Reckless driving contributes to increased car accidents

    Traffic accidents on the public highways of Valdosta total more than 3,500 annually. The most accidents occur where North Valdosta Road intersects with Country Club Drive. The second highest number of accidents occur on Bemiss Road at Northside Drive. Several fatalities have occurred at these intersections because someone was in a hurry and ran the

  • AFSO21 ... everyone must be a player

    I know what you are thinking: another fad, another "bumper sticker," another case of Total Quality Management! It's particularly true for those of you who have been around a while. Over the years, our Air Force has looked for ways to improve things, often borrowing from the latest private sector craze. Those initiatives often fell short in their

  • Domestic violence should be addressed all year long

    In my short Air Force career, I have come across many individuals who have been affected in one way or another by domestic violence. Although the U.S. Department of Justice estimates more than 90 percent, which adds up to more than 4 million in one year, of all victims of domestic violence are women; men are also subjected to the perils of domestic

  • Staying informed key to preventing cancer

    October is designated National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and is dedicated to increasing public knowledge about a disease that will strike more than 212,000 women and more than 1,700 men in the United States each year. Every three minutes a woman in the US is diagnosed with breast cancer, and one out of every 100 men will develop breast tumors.

  • All responsible for suicide prevention

    Most people would do anything to avoid death. However, the fact remains some people commit suicide, and there is not always an easy or clear answer to why a person would end his own life. Many people who have attempted but failed to end their lives tell us they were in intense, overwhelmed emotional states. This out-of-control state led them to be

  • Remembering those still missing

    There are 78,000 still missing from World War II; 8,100 from the Korean War; 1,800 from the Vietnam War; 120 missing dating to the Cold War era, and one missing from the Gulf War, according to the Joint Prisoner Of War / Missing In Action Accounting Command Web site at http://www.jpac.pacom.mil. An observant reader might pause for a moment to

  • Katrina allows Airmen to help in new way

    I have always heard the Air Force takes care of its own in times of need. I have also seen this put into practice when Airmen and their families are struck by tragedy. The events following Hurricane Katrina last year showed me this concept in a brand new way as 347th RQW Airmen put their skills to the test; not to help their fellow military members

  • Teach children to swim, respect water

    The young boy peered up at me through the clear, blue waters of Florida's Ichetucknee Spring on the day before my 31st birthday. He looked calm, peaceful and somewhat serene. I asked a nearby adult if the child was OK, and he told me yes, that the boy had been playing in the chilly waters of this natural swimming hole earlier. But when air bubbles

  • Airman experiences AF drug test; drip by drip

    Drip. Drip. Drip. That was the sound I heard recently for more than an hour during my first randomized drug test. After a phone call from my orderly room telling me I needed to sign “paperwork,” my co-workers informed me I was likely to provide my first Moody urine sample. I told them, “I’ll be back in 30 minutes.” Unfortunately, I was wrong. Upon
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