Commentaries

  • Overcoming Abuse

    This is my Air Force story; why despite my difficult life experiences and many jobs I had, I chose to become an Airman.

  • The hardest months of my life

    I couldn’t believe my husband was about to leave. We were 19 years old, recently married, and had just moved to California. It was hard leaving my parents, but with him by my side, I was optimistic. But there I stood, waiting to say goodbye to my best friend for seven months.

  • Grateful Warrior

    This month is an opportunity to have small group discussions about gratitude – gratitude is the foundation of resiliency. When Airmen can reflect and practice gratitude on a regular basis, they become healthier, they exercise more, they sleep better and they build better relationships. While on a

  • Unplug to re-charge…you need it!

    All too often I see Airmen taking their laptops home with them over the weekend or while heading out the door on leave. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard phrases such as “I’m just on local leave, so call me if you need anything” or “I’ve got my phone/computer with me if anything comes

  • Resilience skills can help keep positive focus during turbulent times

    Resiliency is our ability to adapt and bounce back when things seem dark or don't go as planned and building resiliency is acquiring the tools necessary to handle whatever comes in our path. Resilient people don't dwell on headlines of doom and gloom and they don’t let influencers, media pundits, or

  • Resiliency matters

    Remember, everything is not about you! It’s about the Airmen and families around you more than you think … and they’re watching and feeding off of you. The reason I laced my boots this morning was because I know I have a family and a body of Airmen depending on me to be there for them today; they

  • Stress during COVID

    Everyone responds to stress differently and prolonged exposure to stress is unhealthy. Please read some tips from this commentary on ways to navigate stressful environments and improve overall resilience during these trying times. Look out for each other as well as yourself. If you need help, please

  • The Letter to My Mom – Beyond the Blue

    It is not what happens in life that makes me who I am, but it's how I am able to overcome obstacles that I face. Going through abuse shaped the way I thought, made me question who I trust and even changed my perspective on life. As a child, I was molested for years by my ex-step-father — someone I