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  • Feeling the loss of one man down

    What would you do if the heart of your team died? How would you move on without that person who made you laugh every day - the one who encouraged you to be better than yourself, worked the hardest at every task and taught you how to enjoy and do well in your job. When someone like that is gone, it

  • Made of steel

    My nerves started to get the best of me when I walked onto the flightline. The winds seem to amplify when you step onto that long stretch of concrete, forcing you to stand your ground. You immediately feel out of place in your Airman Battle Uniform when you're being escorted by several seasoned

  • AFSOC Resilience

    Less than one percent of the adult population serves in the United States military, and AFSOC comprises less than one percent of the Department of Defense. Thus, as a major command we are less than one percent of less than one percent. AFSOC epitomizes the "special" in special operations as a small

  • AFSOC Critical Attributes: a renewed perspective

    As an Air Commando, you've undoubtedly seen the Air Force Special Operations Command Critical Attributes posters. A few years ago following a series of on- and off-duty incidents, approximately 200 AFSOC personnel identified the qualities that distinguish an AFSOC Airman from those simply considered

  • Airman's career, life enriched by enlisting

    I've been in the Air Force less than three years, and I've already lost count of how many times someone has asked me why I enlisted over commissioning. "You already have a bachelor's degree," they'd say. "Don't you want to make more money?" or "Your recruiter obviously pulled a number on you!"I had

  • Using Night Owl vision to see, do what’s right

    As the commander of the 67th Special Operations Squadron, I'm proud to share a story of who we are and what we stand for as 'Night Owls.' A night owl's vision is outstanding at night, an obvious choice to symbolize our squadron's heritage and mascot. The 67 SOS operates the MC-130P Combat Shadow,

  • 'Thank you' not necessary; U.S. forces honored to help reopen Sendai

    I cannot put into words the carnage left behind by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent 33-foot tsunami March 11, 2011. More than 300 miles of eastern coastline along Japan's main island of Honshu was destroyed. Some of the most graphic initial images were of Sendai Airport and its nearby

  • Why Special Operations are 'Special'

    Overseas Contingency Operations and the related armed conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and throughout the world have challenged and modified our approach to SOF force structure and doctrine. However, both operators and enablers have always been vitally important for mission success. Even before

  • Can I Count on You…to Fix My Collar?

    During our recent Wingman Day, my commander started the morning by presenting coins for excellence to our recent award winners. I noticed one of our noncommissioned officers had their fleece collar turned up in true "Elvis" fashion. Intentional? I don't think so...not in my organization. In any

  • Degrees and PME - More important than ever

    As a squadron operations officer of one of the most highly-deployed flying units in the Air Force, my primary job is making the unit successful at our wartime mission. For the most part, this includes providing the best trained crews to fly sorties at deployed locations in support of the joint