Commentaries

  • Do you have character?

    As a young boy, I was given chores around the house to accomplish. One of those chores was washing the nightly dinner dishes by hand. We had a perfectly good dishwasher so it's understandable that at 10 I would find this chore a complete waste of time. On one particular night, in a fit of righteous

  • Coming home

    No, I'm not from Arkansas. I wasn't born here, and I am not a state resident. But that doesn't change the fact that my wife, Susan, daughter Madison and I feel like we're home again at Little Rock Air Force Base. Like every other Herk driver in our Air Force, I completed several aircrew

  • Farewell

    As most people who know me will tell you, I'm passionate about our Air Force and the Airmen who defend our nation. As Jodie, Robert, George and I leave, we are grateful for the opportunity to have served with the 314th Airlift Wing, the men and women of Little Rock AFB, and our community partners

  • What is your Mission Statement?

    We all know what our Air Force's, wing's and squadron's mission statements are, but that's not what I'm talking about here -- I'm talking about your personal mission statement. In other words, what are your short, medium and long term goals? Do you want to become the best Airman or NCO you can be?

  • Returning to the Herk legacy

    My name is Mike Minihan. I'm an Airman and a Herk driver. My bride, Ashley, and my three kids, Adair, Mikey and Marley, are honored to once again call Little Rock Air Force Base home. Thank you all for our phenomenal reception and change of command. A special thanks to the Otey family for their

  • The Intellectual Resource

    Today, we are approaching nine years of sustained combat operations. Many could even argue that our Air Force has been involved in continuous combat operations since the original Gulf War in 1991. Even more challenging, today's combat operations are being conducted while the rest of the nation

  • Farewell Team Little Rock

    It seems like just yesterday I received the flag of the 19th Airlift Wing from Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott, but in fact on Wednesday, July 28, it was 18 months of command for the Otey family. It's truly been a remarkable journey, and the remarkable journey is all attributable to the people who make up

  • Commit to training

    Training is an investment. Most, if not all of us, have heard that statement. But how many of us really believe it and are committed to it?Undoubtedly, training provides clear benefits to organizations. For employees, training improves skills, which improves job performance, leading to higher job

  • Never leave an Airman behind

    The wingman concept is an integral part of our Air Force identity and ideals. When one of our own is struggling we are reminded by our creed to, "... never leave an Airman behind." I've seen firsthand how Airmen have overcome overwhelming difficulties because of the support they received from their

  • Are we giving back to the community?

    My wife and I were reflecting this week on the Abilene Trophy, and the greater Little Rock Air Force Base community winning this prestigious award back in April. We're on our second tour here in central Arkansas, having called Jacksonville home from 1993 to 1998, and we completely understand why the