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  • Leadership is not convenient: Part II

    Throughout my military career I have been mentored by supervisors and senior leaders who've truly inspired me. I once had a chief tell me, "Leadership is not about controlling people, it's about caring for your subordinates and being a useful resource to them. If you take care of your troops, they will take care of you." I made the choice a long

  • Leadership is not convenient: Part I

    Being a leader in today's Air Force is not an easy task. The multi-talented requirements have taken a new meaning due to high operations tempo, longer deployments and manning cuts. We are still committed to doing the same job we did 10 years ago with half the personnel. Programs like AFSO 21 and other new technology have given way to reduced

  • Equipment is the Airman’s greatest edge

    Though people are the Air Force's greatest asset, even the most dedicated and ready Airmen cannot accomplish the mission unless properly equipped. Our Air Force is very successful, in part, because we enable our units with the best technology available. Unfortunately, not all Airmen appreciate this advantage as shown in the poor way they safeguard

  • Expanded digital access requires same common sense

    Social networking sites are open to Air Force servicemembers and employees in the workplace. This change to policy has raised many questions about using social media officially and personally in the workplace.But when you get right down to it, little has changed. The rules established for Internet use at work are no different than before the Air

  • Accountability: consistency is key

    One of the toughest challenges facing leaders in today's Air Force is accountability. When to hold someone accountable and to what degree are questions we find difficult to answer under the best of circumstances, sometimes traumatic in the extreme.In those units where leaders exercise too strict accountability, careers might be at stake, morale
  • U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Craig Mason and Staff Sgt. Curtis Gempler, 86th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron aerospace propulsion maintainers, repair an auxiliary power unit on a C-130J Super Hercules, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, March 30, 2010. Ramstein currently has 11 C-130J models and expect two more in the next few months. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Grovert Fuentes-Contreras)

    Airmen keep the 86th Airlift Wing 'flying'

    The 86th Airlift Wing will soon welcome its fourteenth and final C-130J. The transition from the venerable E-model to the new Super Hercules has been nothing short of phenomenal. Those who fly, maintain, and support this tactical airlift capability didn't stand down, take an operational pause, or wait for the fleet to come back up to full strength.

  • Military readiness requires commitment, discipline

    Military readiness requires commitment and discipline. Commitment to contingency operations among members of the Kaiserslautern Military Community is incredible. I'm amazed at the commitment demonstrated by our military members, their families, and the thousands of American and German employees throughout the KMC. Deployed operations require a
  • Brig. Gen. Mark C. Dillon, 86th Airlift Wing commander

    A salute to KMC volunteers

    We are extremely fortunate to have so many volunteers doing the "heavy lifting" across our Kaiserslautern Military Community. Recently, I coined one of our superstar volunteers, Mr. Steve Frisch, who donates hundreds of hours a year and impacts thousands of people. There are many more just like Steve out there who deserve our thanks. Every day, the
  • April is designated as the Month of the Military Child, underscoring the important role military children play in the armed forces community. The Month of the Military Child is a time to applaud military families and their children for the daily sacrifices they make and challenges they overcome.

    Expressing love: Simple steps for improving communication with your children

    When asked what the key to success is in building healthy relationships, many people will answer "communication." In fact, statistics from the Family Advocacy Program show that 75 percent of Air Force families who experienced child maltreatment in the 2009 Fiscal Year identified communication as their number one problem area. At Ramstein, 91
  • Gen. Roger A. Brady, U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander, along with Chief Master Sgt. Pamela Derrow, USAFE command chief, receives a briefing from members of the 86th Comptroller Squadron as part of his visit to the 86th Airlift Wing, March 2. The unit is currently taking part in an AFSO 21 initiative to improve their finance services across the base and throughout the Kaiserslautern Military Community. (U.S. Air Force Photo by: Airman 1st Class Brittany Perry)

    Work smarter, not harder

    Last week several of our wing leaders learned about "lean principles" at the Porsche factory in Stuttgart. We made this trip to witness Porsche's continuous process improvement journey they have been on for the past 15 years. Our Air Force is on a process improvement journey, too. While we haven't been doing it nearly as long as Porsche, we call
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