Commentaries

  • Financial counselor: save cash for emergencies

    Having an emergency cash cushion is critical to financial success. Military Saves Week began Feb. 21 and continues through Feb. 27. This is a great time to get your financial house in order.Even in the best of times, it's wise to have an emergency fund to provide liquidity when you need it.I am

  • Religious freedoms enshrined in Constitution

    The American Airmen who comprise your United States Air Force come from diverse backgrounds. However, one thing we all hold in common is that each of us has pledged to "support and defend the Constitution of United States." Rooted in our Constitution's First Amendment is freedom of religion, a right

  • Character Corner: The Serving Leader

    I recently read an excellent book called "The Serving Leader" by Ken Jennings and John Stahl-Wert. The book didn't really present new information as much as it stated known leadership attributes in simple terms. The book covered five areas in which a leader should strive to excel:-- Set clear goals

  • Character Corner: What do you stand for?

    According to my good friend, retired Chief Master Sgt. Bob Vasquez, "If you don't stand for what's right, you'll fall for what's wrong." In recent months I've heard many cadets express regrets about the constraints they must live with at the Air Force Academy. They must live under "the Code" while

  • Character Corner: To what are you loyal?

    The struggle between integrity and loyalty is older than Mitchell Hall -- the ageless cadet debate, both intrinsic and shared, between turning in a classmate and thereby preserving my integrity or protecting a friend and thereby preserving my loyalty. It's easy to choose between "right" and "wrong,"

  • Character Corner: First and Always

    Between 60 and 70 percent of high school and college students cheat, depending on an article by Martha Brockenbrough called "Cheaterpants!"The article addressed how cheating is gaining an unfair advantage, but what I found disturbing was the brief discussion on how clever the cheaters had become.

  • Academy, partners committed to quality housing

    Housing privatization is an Air Force-wide effort that will significantly change the way we build, manage and fund our housing communities. Housing privatization brings several very good things to the table, including new houses and renovations to existing homes, that we could not otherwise have

  • Character Corner: Does honesty matter?

    Much to my dismay, my 8-year-old son has become a pro at telling his parents what he thinks we want to hear. A few months back, my son Jack and his friend Autumn were painting pictures. We set up a table for them in our garage and moved our cars into the driveway. After they'd been painting for

  • Falcon Eyes: Trash-talking 'litter-acy'

    Several months ago, 10th Air Base Wing leadership unveiled the Falcon Eyes program, focused on base appearance, improvement and excellence in which everyone at the Academy can get involved. The program stresses personal responsibility from a "good housekeeping" perspective along with a common-sense

  • Character Corner: What USAFA gave this graduate

    Albert Einstein once said, "Education is that which remains when one has forgotten everything learned in school." While I've certainly forgotten much of what I learned here long ago as an engineering major, some things stuck with me. In fact, four specific skills I took from the Air Force