Commentary Search

  • Think before you ride

    On the morning of Aug. 17, I had planned on helping someone in need by supporting a motorcycle charity ride in Mobile, Ala. A group of us prepared to leave Fort Walton Beach around 8 p.m. to meet up with other riders from the local community and make the ride to Mobile. On the way to Mobile, I

  • Be bear aware!

    Recently, I've been increasingly concerned about bears on Hurlburt Field. Because the Eglin range is classified by the state of Florida as primary range for black bears, I'd expect a few sightings each year. However, in the last two weeks, I've received nearly daily reports of bears in our housing

  • Get out of the box

    As my tour here at Joint Base Balad comes to an end, I've looked over the last six months and thought of all the things I've had an opportunity to do and people I've met. I've done things I said I would never do, like fly in a helicopter, and met people I've never expected to meet, like the vice

  • Tri-ing to be fit to fight

    Anyone who knows me knows I'm a fitness fanatic. At the same time, anyone who knows me knows that if they come between me and my three daily desserts, there will be hell to pay. I like to think these two aspects of my personality counteract each other nicely. Recently, Eglin Air Force Base hosted My

  • Loss of Airman Felt During of 101 Days Campaign

    Air Commandos, we have suffered a great loss this past weekend. Airman 1st Class Eric Toothaker was tragically killed at the age of 24 in a kayak incident. My deepest condolences are extended to the family and colleagues of this warrior. Our hearts go out to them, and we will do all we can to

  • Act like you own the place

    The brown root beer can lay on its side still as death in front of a car in the parking lot. To me it looked like a huge cancerous growth on the asphalt as I rounded the corner in search of an available spot for my car. This was no ordinary parking lot; it was a barracks parking lot that was nearly

  • Bon voyage: Weight warrior sails back into normal life

    I took a break. Not from dieting, but from writing about dieting. I was overwhelmed by all the rules I was making for myself. Less salt, more water, limited calories, more exercise, making food choices, portion control, strength training, etc. I couldn't take it anymore; there were too many rules!

  • Want to succeed? Then take people with you

    After 28 years in the Air Force, I now look back to how it started and assess whether I've realized what I wanted from the Air Force. As most of you know, everyone joins the Air Force for different reasons. Some join for patriotism, school, to accompany a friend or even to follow in a parent's

  • The American military wife: History in the making

    Since the birth of our nation, women have made tremendous sacrifices in support of our country. This is especially true of the American military wife. As any military wife will tell you, being "married to the military" under the best circumstances requires patience, understanding and flexibility.

  • Weight warrior vows to crush sodium, drink more water

    So here's the deal. I didn't lose any weight at my weight loss support group Monday, but according to my scale at home, I lost two pounds. So what's the bottom line you ask? I lost two pounds this week. I know weight has the ability to fluctuate on a daily basis because I'm obsessed with the darn