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Commentary Search

  • Perspective, “It could be worse”

    I will start off with a short story. 2nd Lt Vassallo worked as a flight commander in late 2000. It was my first assignment as new officer fresh out of OTS. I was excited to be part of Team Dover. Since I was a prior enlisted maintainer I was given the opportunity to lead as the Propulsion Flight

  • Commentary: Rising to the challenge

    One of the biggest adjustments to command for me was the lack of official training that I received before I took command. Command has always been something that I aspired for and has always been my goal in the Air Force. When I took command, I was completely overwhelmed by the amount of information

  • Accepting change

    “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more & become more, YOU ARE A LEADER”   - John Quincy AdamsI cannot begin to write what truly encompasses a leader. I cannot tell you how to check a bunch of boxes and then suddenly you’ve become a leader. A leader does not earn a

  • Connection…Motivation…Warrior Ethos: It all Connects!

    It was 2013; I was a high-time Captain in the 28th Bomb Squadron.  I had three successful combat deployments under my belt with the 9th Bomb Squadron, and I thoroughly enjoyed teaching young Weapon Systems Officers how to employ the lethal B-1 bomber.  I attended an “All Call” where a USAF Brigadier

  • Commentary: Solemn Success Indicator

    "I’d be dead right now if it weren’t for the members of this Squadron.”  Those were the chilling words expressed during resiliency day by one of the youngest and lowest ranking members of our tribe.  The gravity behind such sentiment has weighed heavily on me as the Air Force continues to struggle

  • Tenets of Leadership: the Air Force Core Values

    The Air Force Core Values Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence In All We Do, are the reasons our Air Force is the best the world has ever seen.  These Core Values are what drive me every day in how I operate as a Chief Master Sergeant and senior leader in our Air Force.Integrity

  • Give thanks

    In the Fall of 1621, 53 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Native Americans gathered for the “First Thanksgiving.”  Lasting three days, the feast celebrated the Pilgrims’ first successful harvest, which would enable their survival through the coming winter.  Since leaving England aboard the Mayflower in

  • Balancing work and family

    Trying to balance your career and your family can be a difficult task, for some it can seem impossible.  We often get ourselves into a mindset that we must give everything to the Air Force in order to get that next job or promotion.  Family is usually the first thing we sacrifice when it comes to

  • LISTENING IS LEADING

    As a senior leader in our Air Force, opportunities often arise for me to sit down and mentor younger Airmen. Now I’m not saying I’m a better mentor than the next person you might meet, but perhaps it’s because I’m a little more seasoned or experienced (read: older) that Airmen seek my opinion on