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  • Bolar Spring Break 2008: Ramblings from a Bare Base Guest

    The Bolars' 2008 Spring Break Trip to Campia Turzii, Romania will be one that I will remember forever. Most memories can be classified as remarkable, some were regrettable, but all were amazing. Waking up in Romania was quite a significant experience for most of us on the morning of March 26, mostly

  • Bolar Spring Break 2008

    The Romanian Air Force's 71st Air Base sits on a plain amidst vast farmland, near the town of Campia Turzii in the Transylvania region of Romania. It appears every bit the former Cold War-era Warsaw Pact airbase it once was, with a fenced-in island of support and headquarters buildings jutting

  • Dealing with stress for warriors at war

    Feeling stressed? It happens to everyone. It is how you get there and how you deal with it that enables either your continued success or a downward spiral into the pit o' woe. Make no mistake about it, we are a nation, military, Air Force and wing at war. This is inherently stressful. Even if you

  • USAFE Airmen embrace command priorities

    I recently returned from visiting U.S. Air Forces in Europe bases in the United Kingdom, and I may be a bit biased, but I truly believe that USAFE is the best command in the Air Force! I'm so proud of the accomplishments I see and thankful for the sacrifices each of you make every day for the

  • I may not believe in God, but I believe in chaplains

    I've never really had much in the way of faith. My dog tags say "agnostic" on them. I don't attend a church, synagogue or mosque. I live my life the best way I know how. I'm not anti-religion; far from it. I have just never felt the need to express my spirituality through worship. There's no shame

  • Leaders change, standards and challenges do not

    This was a difficult week for our Air Force. On Thursday, 5 June, our Secretary and Chief of Staff tendered their resignations to the Secretary of Defense. Secretary Mike Wynne and General Buzz Moseley are men of honor and integrity. Their resignations resulted from failures in a critical mission

  • What does a flag mean?

    This June 14, our nation will celebrate Flag Day for the 59th time in it's 232-year history. For many, Flag Day will pass as every other. Most will take little notice of the Stars and Stripes that gracefully flutter through the skies of our free nation, at embassies and military installations

  • Liberty Warriors remember one of our own

    Editor's note: The Senior Airman Jason D. Nathan Gate was dedicated June 1. Airman Nathan was mortally wounded by an improvised explosive device June 23, 2007 while on combat patrol in Tikrit, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.Although an overcast sky and chilly winds are common English

  • There is always help, just look to a wingman

    Heavier deployment commitments are taking military members away from their loved ones more today than ever. Not to mention the normal day-to-day stressors imposed on anyone already under strain could be considered the proverbial straw. The solution -- any medical professional would agree -- is never

  • Faces and stories convey the true meaning of Memorial Day

    This year's Memorial Day weekend blessed me with another incredible experience made possible by my current position. Like the rest of the Air Force, USAFE Airmen covered many venues around the continent, providing static displays at air shows, honor guards, flybys, music from our USAFE band and