Commentaries

  • Anytime is a good time for tea

    Having tea can mean sharing joy and sorrow, solving familial or business problems, or simply being present and experiencing life completely. Although a seemingly simple act, sharing a cup of tea is anything but. It is intentionally taking the time to connect and address something important.

  • Resilience tips for managing life’s transitions, integrations

    As military members, we are expected to deploy and possibly relocate in many different environments to ensure organizational objectives and mission requirements are met.  As such, we will most certainly be exposed to different cultures that could result in a positive, negative, or challenging

  • Rethinking how we lead

    While there are many theories on leadership, it is inherently up to each individual to determine how they will lead. I used this as motivation to read multiple leadership books leading up to my Change of Command to prepare myself for what was to come. Knowing that I was leaving a staff position with

  • To hell with “it”

    Have you had a life altering moment? Not like dodging a car accident that made your heart skip a few beats. I’m talking about a moment where the fundamentals of who you are become questioned.

  • Is it usable?

    We know the universal question of what systems win battles and what makes us boil. Is it usable?

  • Professional development: Big rocks first

    There is a remarkably effective object lesson about sand, rocks and water representing all the things you need to do and how to make them fit into your “jar” of life, and knowing how it works can give you more time to do the things that matter most. Spoiler alert: The secret to this puzzle is to put

  • Do your job: The key to mission success

    For me, Coach Bill Belichick’s ask of his players, “Do your job…take care of your responsibility and just do it right,” succinctly defines what is expected of us as Airmen (uniformed and civilian) as we collectively seek victory (mission success) in a game we cannot lose. And, to be fair, while this

  • Leading through grief

    “Why am I so sad today?” a leader remarked in the middle of a meeting. We were discussing the updated pandemic restrictions, how to lead in this challenging environment and how to instill some hope. His comment reflected a common emotion; this feeling of sadness and hopelessness, despite that

  • Survivor Benefits Plan: How does it compare to insurance?

    Think of Survivor Benefits as retirement protection. It pays a benefit when the insured person's retirement pay stops. SBP won't make a single lump-sum payment like insurance. Instead, SBP will pay up to 55% (with annual inflation adjustments) of the military member's retirement pay to a spouse or