21 Aug 2009

Little Rock, your home away from home

This week, I sat down with about 30 of our newest Airmen assigned to our installation in hopes of helping their transition be a smooth one. If you look at things that create stress in life, moving is near the top of the list. There are many things connected with a change of location, such as finding your way around or even establishing positive

12 Aug 2009

Domestic violence affects us all

I bet if I asked each of you, you'd be able to tell me of someone you know who was either a perpetrator or a victim of domestic violence. Yet, many instances of abuse go unnoticed and unreported. If we are going to continue to be a community that takes care of one another, then we must not sweep sensitive issues under the rug, but face them head

12 Aug 2009

Airmen of character don't believe their own hype

As we gear up for our Senior Noncommissioned Officer Enhancement Seminar I'm excited for our recent master sergeant selectees. It seems so long ago that I too accepted the responsibility of a senior NCO --the excitement of a new set of stripes, the opportunity to assume more challenging and demanding roles, the opportunity to lead and influence

7 Aug 2009

Summer Hire: How I spent my summer vacation

"We are finally high school graduates!" I exclaimed to a friend, shortly after receiving my high school diploma last May. "That means we are also unemployed," my friend bluntly replied. Just like many other young adults, I viewed my summer vacation as a time to begin gaining work experience through a summer job. This summer, students in high school

5 Aug 2009

“Service Before Self” not “Service Without Self”

The term "Service Before Self" is a phrase every Airman burns in their memories from day one of basic training. Our Air Force Core Values are at the very heart of keeping Airmen all over the world focused on completing the mission. No matter the personal sacrifice, our Airmen incessantly push themselves to ensure the needs of the Air Force are not

5 Aug 2009

Making Fun of Stress

Abraham Lincoln, in the midst of the Civil War, implored his advisors, "Gentlemen, why don't you laugh? With the fearful strain that is upon me day and night, if I did not laugh I should die, and you need this medicine as much as I do." It's no secret that all of us, military and civilian, are dealing with more stress than ever. Between work

5 Aug 2009

Average: the top of the bottom

Question: What is right beneath average? Answer: below average. Being average isn't about a result, but about a mindset that leads to that result. This week I want to explore how you engage each activity associated with your life. I believe you get out of life, your career and personal pursuits what you invest in it. So as you examine your recent

30 Jul 2009

Service Before Self

"Service Before Self," the second of our core values, provides the vector for our Air Force. It keeps us pointed in the correct direction, the defense of our great republic, and provides the motivation which sustains our efforts over time. Without Service Before Self, our direction, like that of many armed forces or military "professionals"

30 Jul 2009

Let’s celebrate our success

Today, I invite every Combat Airlifter to celebrate the success of Team Little Rock's participation in Air Mobility Command's 2009 RODEO competition. We brought home a combined total of nine awards, once again proving our place as THE center of C-130 excellence. These awards, without question, reinforce what we have long known - the fact that

29 Jul 2009

Click, Call, Walk – Financial Services transformation has begun

A financial services transformation is under way across the Air Force. This is an on-going Air Force effort aimed at enhancing customer service for members and their dependents through the use of computers and telephone systems for pay concerns. The end result, from a customer standpoint, is much of the processing previously completed at Little