27 Apr 2007

Why a U.K. assignment is 'da bomb

I think we as humans generally enjoy complaining. I'm guilty of it. Let's face it, complaining can be fun. But some folks take it beyond casual fault-finding and move toward persistent negativism. A frequent topic I hear among Americans here is how they dislike living in the United Kingdom. You've heard the complaints: driving, food, weather,

23 Apr 2007

A high price to pay

Many of you weren't here a year and a half ago when we received the command post notification of an active duty member and his family involved in a car accident. Although the member and his family survived, unfortunately, two British civilians were killed.I remember the day clearly, and the terrible repercussions a superb Air Force senior NCO had

16 Apr 2007

Budget crunches open unexplored avenues

As we all know by now, budget constraints deeply hit the entire Department of the Air Force for fiscal year 2007. The U.S. Air Forces in Europe's budget was hit extremely hard and the 48th Fighter Wing was no exception--we were given 40 percent less to work with at the beginning of this Fiscal Year. What does this mean to you? As many of us have

10 Apr 2007

Local inspections improve wing readiness, teamwork

As the 48th Fighter Wing continues to prepare for the Unit Compliance Inspection in August, I know workloads are increasing as every unit and agency crosses their "t"s and dots their "i"s. The UCI is a mandatory inspection to ensure the Liberty Wing meets Air Force requirements imperative to measuring the strength, performance and readiness of

20 Mar 2007

Community bonds vital to mission success

Living in a new country can be an overwhelming experience. On one hand, the excitement of experiencing something different is an adventure. On the other hand, the cultural differences can take time to get use to. Thankfully, our British hosts readily welcome Liberty warriors and our families to the community. Their warm welcome has a way of making

13 Mar 2007

Women’s history...more than just a month

In 1948, Staff Sgt. Ester Blake was the first woman to enlist in the U.S. Air Force. In 1980, the first female cadets graduated from the Air Force Academy. In 2006, Capt. Nicole Malachowski was the first woman to become an Air Force Thunderbird pilot. These great strides are pivotal to our military history, but Women's History Month is about more

9 Mar 2007

Making warfighting Airmen: training for the fight

Tired of hearing the "Alarm Blacks" blaring across base? Exhausted from wearing your chemical gear while trying to fix a jet engine on the flightline or drafting permanent change of station orders in the military personnel flight? Annoyed that yet another battlestaff or disaster control group recall was called? Well, you might be tired, exhausted

7 Mar 2007

What Motivates You?

My recent deployment to Iraq as an expeditionary medical squadron commander resulted in many valuable lessons. One I have continued to think about since returning to the 48th Medical Group involves the concept of motivation. I was lucky to be deployed with 43 exceptional medics from RAF Lakenheath to run the 506th Expeditionary Medical Squadron in

1 Mar 2007

Verifying records, personal information may effect promotions

The one constant among all Airmen is the desire to be promoted. There are many things Airmen can do to affect their chances for promotion, but perhaps the most important is ensuring their personal information is correct. Missing or inaccurate enlisted or officer performance reports, decorations, awards and citations can affect promotion scores for

27 Feb 2007

USAFE Metrics program ... You are a vital player of the team

We've all heard the word "metrics" when it comes to measuring success. Using percentages, statistics and trends to show improvement or explain challenges helps everyone pinpoint strengths and areas to improve. One of the benefits to using metrics is the ability to objectively measure how well we accomplish Liberty Wing and USAFE goals. Metrics help