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  • Using gratitude to combat the 2020 attitude

    This time last year we did not know. We gathered with friends and family for a feast in the name of thankfulness without awareness of what 2020 would have in store. What did 2020 usher? For starters, hardship, isolation and the beloved face mask! Who would have guessed we would have toilet paper

  • Living with purpose

    The essence of a healthy and full life is a sense of purpose. Those individuals with a steadfast sense of purpose sustain their positive focus even when challenges and difficulties arise. Pain may visit for a season but purpose sustains resilience during the best and most difficult days. 

  • Finding your tribe to help light the way

    A friend of mine recently posted about the slight panicked feeling she had when it dawned on her she didn’t really know what to do if her kids came down with the COVID-19 virus while her husband was deployed. Not even two minutes after she posted came the flood of replies from her tribe. Friends and

  • Appreciation for Unsung Heroes

    Have you seen the GIF with two dogs getting a ball out of a pool? One is craning his neck over the side into the pool, fishing the ball out while his partner is holding his tail tightly to keep him from falling in. It’s a good depiction of teamwork and how the one who conquers is only able to do so

  • Psychological Safety in the Workplace

    A few weeks ago our 501st Community Support Coordinator contacted me to ask if I would participate in the March GRIT syllabus. GRIT, in my opinion, has been good for the command and appears to be moving us closer to our declared objective; namely, building resilient airmen. So, I was happy to

  • Overcoming Setbacks

    I distinctly remember my high school soccer coach telling the team one afternoon that sports were lessons in life and would not only helps us overcome obstacles on the field, but also off the field. How right he was! Freshman year went well for me. I worked hard, floated between junior varsity and

  • Character Matters

    For Fathers’ Day some years ago, my mother sent me a framed document. As a child, I told her a lie. On November 17, 1982, she made me write a page (a whole page!) on the subject, “Why it is good to be truthful.” That page was in the frame. Of course, I had forgotten about this, but she saved it for

  • Heritage and Infrastructure Investment

    Starting with its beginning as Brackley Landing Ground in 1938, Royal Air Force Croughton has been home to generations of Airmen. In the early years, the base was a training site for Commonwealth bomber pilots and later served as the home of No. 1 Glider Training School.   Since 1950, RAF Croughton

  • Talking to your kids about dating and healthy relationships

    RAF CROUGHTON, England -- Technology has transformed how kids grow up. Today’s tech-savvy middle and highschoolers are able to look in places online for information and advice on dating, relationships and sex. Parents may be unaware and/or feel a loss of control. The good news is parents can empower

  • Job Satisfaction

    Job satisfaction is an elusive beast. It has escaped me many times in my military career, especially in my early years. Prior to my commission, I built computers, installed networks and developed applications for small businesses. It was easy to find my sense of satisfaction. The efforts of my work