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  • Facing the Future without Fear

    Fear....a common emotion. Is it possible to live without fear? Maybe not. General George Patton said once, "Courage is fear that has said its prayers." I've heard people come back from combat saying, "I don't want to serve with someone who has no fear...a good healthy fear can enable us to make good

  • We all play important roles during inspections

    The time has come to once again put some focus on upcoming inspections. The Medical Group will receive a Health Services Inspection (HSI) over the November UTA. We expect another ESOHCAMP (Environmental and Safety Inspection) early in 2009 and our next AETC Operational Readiness Inspection is less

  • Family Readiness lightens the deployment load

    Just a few weeks ago and for the third time this year, a story about the 162nd Fighter Wing appeared on the front page of our local newspaper. Before telling you about this great story, I want to first thank Capt. Gabe Johnson for the incredible work he's been doing as our Public Affairs officer. In

  • What you need to know about your Air Guard

    Are you aware of what a remarkable organization your Air National Guard is? Bet not. Did you know that the ANG flies approximately 45 percent of all theatre airlift aircraft, primarily the C-130? 40 percent of the Air Force's aerial refueling tankers are in Guard units including the 161st ARW, our

  • Energy conservation for our future

    In previous articles I have addressed the coming money crunch that will impact the Air Force and the Guard. As the Air Force directs moneys to recapitalize the aging aircraft fleet, we will experience budget cuts approaching 10 percent. This will put severe pressure on funding for flying hours,

  • A focus on personal finances equals readiness

    Recent reports indicate nearly one-third of U.S. enlisted servicemembers have moderate to severe difficulty in paying their bills, and that's counting only those who report having trouble. We may not realize it, but job performance and mission accomplishment are directly affected by our personal