5 Oct 2015

What's behind the smile?

A few years ago, I wrote an article about smiling.  I tried to make it witty and funny, in an attempt to enlighten the hearts of Airmen in Korea.  I ranted on how smiles were contagious and made people look more confident and attractive.  I argued that forcing yourself to smile can literally change your mood. I have no doubt that a smile is a

30 Jul 2015

Ownership: Units, processes, self

Ownership is at the core of a majority of our successes and failures - in the military, professional careers and our personal lives.  Ownership remains at the core of these ebbs and flows. Ownership is the state or fact of possessing something as your own.  It is personal to an individual, has attachment and meaning. In the military, ownership

23 Jul 2015

35 days in command…and six years of separation

It's great to be back at Ramstein!As a prior Commander of the 86th Operations Group and Deputy Commander of the 603rd Air and Space Operations Center 2006-2009, I absolutely enjoyed the people, the mission and the privilege of living and working here at Ramstein Air Base.  Serving as commander of one of the U.S. Air Force's most dynamic operations

12 May 2015

Professionalism, fundamental to leadership

As I look around and interact with the Airmen assigned to Ramstein and within the Kaiserslautern Military Community, I'm truly amazed at the number of technological advances the Air Force has experienced since I joined 27 years ago.As basic as advancing from carbon-copy forms, typewriters and the skills to manually operate them to autofill digital

5 May 2015

30 days in unfamiliar territory: My memorable introduction to Ramstein

A new life was waiting for me. At 19 years old, I was leaving everything I had grown to love or learn to live with: my friends, my family and my home. I was anxious to get on the plane, but I couldn't leave without one last hug from my parents.It wasn't like the quick hugs I'd give to my friends before we enjoyed our weekends from school. This

28 Apr 2015

Recognizing the volunteer force

The elimination of the draft in 1973 marked the beginning of the all-volunteer force in the United States military, but that's not the volunteer force I would like to address.Instead, I'd like to highlight a volunteer force enhancing our local community.  Here at Ramstein  our "Volunteer Force" contributes in many ways, making our community a

20 Apr 2015

Public Health guides illness, injury prevention

Healthy living is a long-term commitment. Merely passing your physical fitness test is not enough to prepare you for a deployment, TDY or even a simple vacation.We are all at risk for diseases, injuries and illnesses anytime we are on the move. The 86th Aerospace Medicine Squadron Public Health Office is here to ensure your safety.Why see public

10 Apr 2015

What is an AMOW?

What is an air mobility operations wing? That's a great question; and the same thing I asked myself when I was selected to command this unique wing.As Air Mobility Command's sole representative here for Team Ramstein, many may think we just operate the Ramstein Passenger Terminal, but our mission consists of so much more. The reality is the 521st

2 Apr 2015

Sexual assault survivor: ‘You are not alone’

I remember the day like it was yesterday. My heartbeat echoed in my head as I attempted to dry my sweaty hands on my jeans. I was 21 years old, sitting in a Korean court room, waiting to be questioned by prosecutors. How I ended up here was unreal. Just a few months ago I was happy; I had a loving husband, amazing friends and arguably the greatest

24 Mar 2015

Capt Spanky makes smooth transition

Happy Friday, Team Ramstein! I'm sorry I haven't given you any updates lately, but out-processing for retirement has kept me really busy.Luckily, I haven't just been chasing my tail (or nub in my case).The Ramstein Airman & Family Readiness Center has helped me get prepared for civilian life a lot. The Transition Goals, Plans, Success program is a