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Commentary Search

  • A strong community depends on you

    "A Strong Community Depends on You" is the theme of the 2013 Air Force Community Assessment Survey. This important survey is sponsored by the Air Force Integrated Delivery System (IDS). Its goal is to make known the opinions and needs of the entire Air Force Community including Active Duty members,

  • Unattended cooking fires: Know what to do!

    In 2012, Misawa Fire and Emergency Services responded to five fires between the months of January and March. Just two months into 2013, the fire department has already responded to four fires in base housing. The common factor identified in all Misawa Air Base fires shows an increasingly dangerous

  • Sannai-Maruyama: recovering prehistoric history

    Despite Japan's long and rich history, most focus on the nation's participation in World War II or the renowned Samurai Era. However, this country was built on more than just sword-wielding warriors.Because of my desire to learn more about Japan and its people, I decided to rally a few friends and

  • Legacy of Valor

    Legacy of Valor - its part of the Air Force Creed, and it's a focus of numerous movie plots but have you really thought about its meaning?When I think of the Legacy of Valor, I think of times long ago and missions other people do.Gen. Mark Welsh, our new Air Force Chief of Staff, gave a speech at

  • A family away from home

    An explosion of eggs, milk and strawberry cake mix covered the floors, walls and ceiling of the kitchen. Small flour footprints led all around the house before abruptly stopping at two doors, mine and my sister's. After using her superior detective skills and following the clues, my mother found the

  • October shines light on domestic violence

    Many times after my briefs on domestic violence and reporting procedures, someone asks me "Where does Misawa rank among other bases in the Air Force?" and I'll say that we are not number one and we are not at zero. Why are we not at zero they may ask? It's not that someone is not doing their job;

  • Halt jaywalker

    It was a warm, summer night as I drove back to my dorm from the on-base movie theatre. I was obeying the traffic laws and ensuring that I was going the speed limit when suddenly I had to stop my car in the middle of the road. It's a good thing I have 20/20 vision or I might not have seen them.

  • My job is prosecuting sexual assault

    Here's a simple truth...sexual offenders reject our core values of integrity, service and excellence, in favor of following their own base, undisciplined, criminal desires. Most sexual assaults committed by Airmen are "blue on blue," or Airmen victimizing other Airmen. So in addition to rejecting

  • Silent leadership

    Over the past 27 years, I have had the opportunity to work for a number of outstanding leaders in the United States Air Force. Each of these leaders brought different skill sets to the table that taught me valuable lessons on how to be successful not only in the military, but in everyday life. One

  • Unattended cooking could result in your next meal being your last

    In 2010, an estimated 156,400 home fires reported to U.S. fire departments involved cooking and claimed over 410 lives. Unattended cooking is a leading cause of fires in the kitchen. About 60% of cooking fires start by food ignition or other cooking materials catching on fire. Cooking with oil and