31 Oct 2008

Here and ready to get started

Greetings Sharks! Thank you all for making the change of command an impressive, professional ceremony. I am humbled to follow in the steps of a great leader and honored to be your 45th Space Wing commander. I also need to thank you for the warm reception you showed my wife, Patricia, my family and I during the ceremony. It was a great event for a

31 Oct 2008

Air Force Core Values: more than just words

October's "Year of Leadership" focus has been "Discipline." For November, the focus shifts to our Core Values, the very principles that are the backbone of discipline.Former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Ryan said, "our Core Values, Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence In All We Do set the common standard for conduct across

23 Oct 2008

'You're as good as they get'

This will be my last 'From the Top' as your Commander of the 45th Space Wing. Tuesday morning, I will pass the Wing flag over to General Ed Bolton with great reluctance, but I will do so knowing that he takes command of an installation that is operating at its peak.From the youngest airman basic to the most senior officer, from the fervent Sharks

23 Oct 2008

Discipline: lessons from football

This past Friday night, high school football teams predicted to roll over their crosstown rivals came up short, there were numerous surprises on Saturday when top-25 teams were crushed, and previously winless teams beat playoff contenders on Sunday. I watched some teams gain long yardage on some plays and score on others, only to be called back due

16 Oct 2008

CFC: charity begins at home

The Combined Federal Campaign, which kicked off today with a 5K run, is now in full swing. Our goal is $180,000 by Nov. 13. While this may seem to be a difficult goal, I think it is an attainable one.This is your opportunity to give back to the community... the very community that has been so giving to all of us. Last year alone, Brevard County

16 Oct 2008

Discipline: from where I sit

Military discipline is a term that has been used, overused, and many times misused in our Air Force. It is applied to being a minute late, forgetting a meeting, improper formatting of a triple-S, and even a bad attitude. It seems now that the phrase 'Lack of military discipline' has become the reason attributed to mistakes. We have abused the term;

9 Oct 2008

Climate Survey: It’s all about you

We are all familiar with tracking our progress at achieving our goals, whether they are on a personal or professional basis. Without this status check, we wouldn't know if we were making progress in the right direction.Well, the Air Force is doing its status check with the 2008 Air Force Climate Survey, which began Oct. 1, and will run until Nov.

9 Oct 2008

You can accomplish anything when you set goals

Have you ever felt like you were just spinning your wheels? You work hard every day but never seem to accomplish anything? If this sounds familiar there may be a simple fix and the secret is anyone can do it. So what is this magic formula? Simply stated: setting goals.Research has shown that people who write down their goals are more likely to

2 Oct 2008

A commander’s tricks of the trade

During my career, I've had the opportunity to work for phenomenal leaders; I've also had the chance to observe and discover their so-called "Tricks of the Trade" for success. Many of these tricks are straightforward; yet folks constantly ignore them, so I would like to share them with you.1. Make every effort possible not to be late for meetings

2 Oct 2008

Discipline: Little things really do matter

As you probably know, this month's Year of Leadership theme, as articulated by Gen. C. Robert Kehler, commander, Air Force Space Command, is a trait all military services depend on more than any other. And that's discipline.Integrity First, Service before Self, and Excellence in All We Do may be the three core values of the Air Force, but