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  • Go ahead, make someone’s day

    As I was driving back from a recent trip I took up to Northern Virginia, I was chatting with my friend on the phone. She had been going through a tough time: moving to another country, adjusting to a new job and struggling with stresses of life. As she was organizing her belongings for the move, she

  • Plan your next steps

    "Every time I go [to jail] it's a spiritual experience, you can get a lot of things done that you need to do and you can't get done in the hurly-burly of everyday life. You can think about things." -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King is not the only example of someone who used time away from the

  • Teamwork, Flexibility, Enthusiasm

    In his commentary on June 5, Col. John Gordy showcased the truly impressive array of individual, team and organizational awards earned by the 43rd Airlift Wing in the past year. Frankly I've never seen anything like it. Your collective accomplishments are truly staggering. Based on 13 months of

  • A Fond Farewell

    There are times in all of our lives when we are prompted to remember the sacrifices of those who fought for freedom and paved the path for us today. Whether it is a holiday like Memorial Day or Veterans Day, or an internationally impactful event like 9/11, we all have emotions drawn at different

  • Effective Writing Tips

    It has been said "the pen is mightier than the sword." Throughout all ranks, the ability to communicate through effective writing is essential to the Air Force mission. Having said that, I offer the following 12 effective writing tips. 1. Everything measurable matters. Measurable items require

  • Mentoring Matters

    There are a lot of people who have come to hate the word mentoring ... it's become a buzz word, a cliché. When you Google the word mentoring, you will find more than 14,200,000 results. It's been my experience that the word is often over used and abused, and the action of mentoring isn't done

  • We Need You…

    As I leave Pope this summer, I've reflected on the past two years of my assignment and realized how fortunate I have been to serve with this Wing and with each of you. I couldn't have performed my duties as "Top Cop" or Chief of Security Forces without each of you and your support. The fact that you

  • A Time To Talk

    It's that time again. On May 18 and 19, I'll be having a Commander's Call at five different times in order to visit with you all and pass along some information I believe is important. I am looking forward to meeting with you and hope you will bring your concerns and questions. I want to know what's

  • Education: A family commitment

    As I sit and write this commentary I think about the homework sitting on my desk at home waiting to be accomplished. I am just three classes away from earning my master's degree and it has been a long road to accomplishing my goal. I remember many years ago being so excited to get my bachelor's and

  • Team Pope Represents

    After a week away for Spring Break with my family, I can honestly tell you, it's great to be back! Absolutely I enjoyed my time with my family, but the energy I get from the daily interactions with you all is unmatched! For example, when I had the opportunity to present Airman 1st Class Alexandra