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Commentaries

  • Empower your people

    As leaders and supervisors, it's our job to empower our people and create an atmosphere where Airmen feel comfortable offering ideas and changes. I always challenge all my Airmen, from the most junior to the most senior, to make a difference. When you get to a duty station you should take time to

  • Wingman Concept Critical to Suicide Prevention

    With the upcoming Labor Day Weekend, it is again time to stress the importance of being a good wingman. This not only includes alcohol and making sure your wingman doesn't drink and drive, but also suicide. Regrettably, some Airmen choose to end their lives to solve temporary problems. That's why we

  • Random Acts of Kindness

    I believe in random acts of kindness. I believe that reaching out, lending a hand and giving from the heart without an expectation of return is the greatest gift of all. Everyday opportunities present themselves to us. Opportunities to volunteer our time, donate money or share our talents. We need

  • Sport Bike Safety Crucial to Readiness

    I had the pleasure of attending our very first sport bike safety course last week, and I couldn't be prouder of the Safety Office for spearheading this initiative. I appreciate having North Carolina Highway Patrolman Mark Brown teaching this course, and he will make a big impact at Pope by

  • Have a Plan, Know Your Limits

    Last week ended with the Pope Special Activities Committee's 21st Annual Golf Tournament, which raised nearly $5,000. PSAC is a great organization that raises $8,000 to $10,000 each year for Pope. The money is used to support things like the Airmen's Appreciation Dinner, Airman and Family Readiness

  • A Culture of Responsible Choices

    There is a push out there to help our folks make responsible choices. The reason is we have seen a disappointing increase in safety incidents, substance abuse related incidents, assaults and suicides. The Air Force has a significant population of people in the 18 to 24 year old age group -- our

  • Have You Improved Your Team's Game Lately?

    Over the past couple of years, I've heard a lot of our senior Air Force leaders use the words, "commitment to excellence" to inspire members to stay dedicated to the standards that define exceptional performance. I must confess, I've used those same words during speeches and discussions with Airmen

  • People are our No. 1 priority

    Our Air Force is undergoing a significant transition under Program Budget Decision 720. This transition will require us to eliminate waste and improve the efficiency of our programs. Through this process, we have to take care of our people in order to continue to provide the world's best combat

  • Ride the Smart Ops Wave

    How many times have you asked or heard the question, "How am I going to be expected to continue to support my current mission requirements when the operations tempo is not decreasing and I am on the verge of potentially losing a significant amount of manpower? I can hardly keep up now!" Then you

  • NSPS Requires Leadership Involvement

    This week, I had the privilege to get around to each group and meet many of you. I see exactly why General McDew raved about your pride and excellence. I look forward to meeting the rest of you throughout the coming weeks, but I want to share with you a little more about my leadership philosophy. As