11 May 2010

A few good quotes

According to Mark Twain, "The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them." This was one of his many clever remarks to address people's need to continue to expand their way of thinking by gaining knowledge. In our Air Force, we are continuously challenged to learn and broaden our working base of knowledge.

6 May 2010

Respect: Just a few steps away

Every afternoon of the duty week, the entire expanse of Aviano Air Base is bathed in a delightful sound that customarily and simultaneously represents the end of the duty day and shows respect to the flags of Italy and the United States of America. For many, this time is one of honorable reflection by either standing at attention with a crisp

21 Apr 2010

Lorenz on Leadership -- Motivation

These are challenging times for our Air Force. We have been engaged in combat operations since 1990 and are balancing limited resources against an aggressive operations tempo. We are once again adjusting to maintain our authorized end strength while juggling priorities within a leveling budget. Many of our aircraft are beyond expected service lives

12 Mar 2010

31st Fighter Wing Compliance Inspection - Good Impressions

The 31st Fighter Wing Compliance Inspection is just days away, and I would like to take a moment to remind all Aviano Airmen of the importance of making a good impression on the visiting Inspector General team.The USAFE IG team of approximately 129 personnel will be here from March 20 - 29. Although base appearance and customs and courtesies are

25 Feb 2010

Leadership Lessons from the Red Baron

Most Airmen know Manfred von Richthofen as the Red Baron and the man who shot down over 80 Allied aircraft in World War I--the leading ace from all nations in the "War to end all Wars".Most don't realize that he was also a tremendous squadron commander and leader of warriors.The short version of his leadership biography is that he took command of a

18 Feb 2010

Air Force Assistance Fund Drive, giving to a worthy cause

Calling all Aviano Airmen, families, civilians and private organizations. As the Aviano Air Force Aid Society officer, I urge you to donate to the Air Force Assistance Fund Drive kicking off March 8 through April 16. The Airman and Family Readiness Center will use your donations to aid Airmen and/or family members who will need the money to fly

27 Jan 2010

Are you ready for AF's best job?

Are you ready for the absolute best job in the Air Force?Would you like a job that will most likely lead to some of the most challenging, rewarding, unique experiences in your Air Force career?The rewards I'm referring to are not just the $150 monthly incentive pay, or your very own parking spot and an Air Force sponsored blackberry account. I'm

16 Dec 2009

A little PMA goes a long way

PMA, or positive mental attitude, is an acronym familiar to those who've attended Air Force Combat, Water and Arctic Survival training.Alongside one's faith, PMA is often credited with preserving the lives of people in life-threatening survival situations.A prime example includes America's prisoners of war - our brothers and sisters in arms who've

23 Nov 2009

It wasn't always a drug-free Air Force

As the newly assigned manager overseeing the base drug education and testing program, it's interesting to see the "generational view" on drug testing. Although more than 95 percent of those selected for drug testing understand the program and are impressively patient when they report to our facility for testing; especially in light of the

16 Nov 2009

Teamwork key to fiscal year closeout success

For most people who live and work on a military installation, the first day of October is just the start of another month. But for the men and women who make up the 31st Comptroller Squadron's finance team, it represents the end of 12 months of hard work in executing the 31st Fighter Wing budget which culminates every September with an