26 Jun 2013

July Commander's Corner

It has been a couple years since my last Commander's Column, and this wing has continued to set new standards and demonstrate the patriotism, professionalism, and performance that make me so proud to be a Swamp Fox. You have all epitomized the Air Force's core values of "Service Before Self" and "Excellence In All We Do." I am humbled to be part of

26 Jun 2013

July Chief's Concerns

I recently had the opportunity to attend a Command Chiefs' meeting, standing in for our State Command Chief, Chief Master Sgt. Larry Crowson. The meeting was very informative and numerous important topics were discussed. One of the main topics was the process of conforming to a "3 to 1" Total Force Personnel Management system. In October 2010, the

29 May 2013

June Commander's Corner

As I write these words in late April, with the specter of budget cuts this year and next, there are technician furloughs and possibly another round of Base Realignment and Closure on the horizon. All the while, we are still making every preparation for a Certified Readiness Evaluation in September. It strikes me how very dedicated McEntire folks

29 May 2013

June Chief's Concerns

I was raised on a tobacco farm in Horry County, South Carolina. Working on the farm is where I learned the value of hard work and determination. At a very young age I was taught that there were two very important things that we must take care of, our family (people) and our crops (job). If we fail to take care of our people, our crops suffered as a

25 Apr 2013

May Commander's Corner

On a recent trip back from a spring break vacation, I watched "The Impossible", a movie about the real life experience of a family that survived the tsunami that hit Thailand in 2004, good movie. The devastation, from this event as most remember, was tremendous as well as the need for medical and humanitarian assistance for the survivors. This led

25 Apr 2013

May Chief's Concerns

There are many things in life that we cannot control. One thing we can control, though, is our attitude and how we respond to situations. As a unit, we have been very busy recently with deployments far from home, inspections, and exercises. We have been attacked, worked long hours, and even worn chemical ensembles for long hours in extremely hot

27 Mar 2013

April Commander's Corner

In a recent ORE/ORI staff meeting, Chief Crowson said, "If you're bucking, you're not pulling." I thought this was applicable, in that, if your attitude is poor and you've lost the team effort concept, then you're not pulling your own weight. I do feel like we are a team and that it takes all of us to succeed, and our history proves that if we can

27 Mar 2013

April Chief's Concerns

We are currently preparing for our operational readiness inspection (ORI) in November, as we face one of the toughest fiscal climates in memory. Many of the fiscal steps we will be required to take are unprecedented within the Air Force and Air National Guard. How many of us even heard of the word "sequestration" as it relates to finances before

27 Feb 2013

March Commander's Corner

I started my athletic career as a high school cross country skier in Northern Minnesota. My plan was to join the Air Force after graduation, continue my skiing career, and eventually secure a spot on the US Biathlon Team. So on my military 'dream sheet,' I selected all the bases which would offer the best access to snow nearly year round. However,

27 Feb 2013

March Chief's Concerns

Growing up in Mississippi at age 10, my early Saturday morning duties were to clean my room, rake leaves (dig a hole and burn'em), sling blade/push mow the grass, dump the waste, clean the outhouse and garden, and then do whatever else was needed. My grandmother would often applaud my work, however one morning I decided to quit a "little" early to