17 Apr 2013

'Every dollar counts' challenge

Did you get the email from the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff, Gen. Larry O. Spencer, about Airmen Powered by Innovation? Check it out! The Air Force is looking for Airmen of all ranks to find ways we can cut costs, and, as our Vice Chief says, "better fly, fight and win."While finding cost-saving and innovative ways of doing things has been part of

17 Apr 2013

'Do to others...'

If you have been following the news recently, you might have read or heard the stories of Audrie Pott - a 15-year-old California girl who was allegedly raped by three fellow high school students last September - and Rehtaeh Parsons, a 17-year-old from Nova Scotia who was also allegedly sexually assaulted in November 2011. These sad stories

29 Mar 2013

Sexual assault awareness - April and beyond

Bases throughout U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa are taking part in a sexual assault awareness campaign during April. This year's theme is "We own it....We'll resolve it....Together." It's the ninth consecutive year that April has been designated as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) by the Department of Defense and the National

12 Mar 2013

Sequestration is a big deal, so are you

As you know, budget cuts went into effect March 1. Across the command we took action to help manage the impact and to prepare for a worst-case scenario. We are in the process of cutting non-mission critical travel, base maintenance contracts, and facility projects, and we are anticipating steep cuts to our flying hour program. Other potential cuts

11 Mar 2013

Watch your mouth!

Finance. Comptroller squadron. Whatever you want to call them, they are probably one of the most loved and hated functions in the Air Force. When things are going well with our pay and allowances, we have good thoughts about our financial gurus. But when something goes wrong, it's a different story! I'd be lying if I said I have not, at some point

4 Mar 2013

A simple request

I read the email with disbelief that there would be 700 sexual assaults across the Air Force in 2012. Some would read that number and claim while not one is acceptable it is still a small percentage given the size of our force. But then I thought what if all 700 were on your base? How is combat capability affected when it would take down an entire

27 Feb 2013

Leadership on duty, balance in life

Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State Colin Powell once remarked that, "Leadership is the Art of accomplishing more than the Science of Management says is possible." As this statement indicates, the difference between leadership and management is not simply semantic, but often is the crucial element in an organization

24 Feb 2013

Sequestration: How USAFE-AFAFRICA may be affected

As we approach the automatic budget cuts slated to go into effect on March 1, I would like to share some of my thoughts on how our command may be affected and how we will respond. Our outstanding team of resource managers has tirelessly planned for these cuts, and we are prepared to implement them if necessary. Regardless of what happens in the

15 Feb 2013

Who are the sexual predators?

According to a 2010 report on the prevalence and incidence of sexual assault in the Air Force, 96.6 percent of perpetrators of sexual assault against women are men. The study also found that men who are serial offenders, or to use a more common descriptor, sexual predators, are responsible for more than 90 percent of attacks that occur in many

19 Jan 2013

Setting a financial 'tone from the top'

It has been said that no one can accurately predict where the U.S. military will need to respond next: the workload and requirements are uncertain. Nearly as unpredictable is the future of the nation's finances. With much talk of the fiscal cliff in the news recently, how quickly can the U.S. economy recover, and what will happen to the global