Commentary

Every winter the 786th Civil Engineer Squadron fights an uphill battle to keep Mother Nature at bay. To keep the mission going, the “snow team,” which includes the 786th CES Heavy Equipment shop and volunteers from other CE shops, stands ready to face the blustering winds and bitter cold in order to keep runways and streets clear of snow and ice.

As I prepared the commencement speech for the recent Community College of the Air Force graduation ceremony, my mind kept returning to a familiar theme. I thought of this important accomplishment’s place on the journey to excellence.

In your military career, you have probably never really paid attention to that “weird looking black thing” that should be attached to your government owned vehicle key ring.

Imagine yourself walking down the street, minding your own business, on your way home from a long day at work. It’s getting dark and someone in your peripheral vision stumbles down some stairs they didn’t see.

Now that the warm days of summer are quickly becoming a distant memory, the coolness of October reminds us it is time to start planning for a safe winter. As crazy as the weather can be here, it’s never too soon to make sure you’re ready.

It’s 2 a.m., and you’ve been called in to work. As you arrive, you notice flashing lights and yellow tape blocking the entrance. Wiping the crust from the corner of your eyes, a young agent begins filling you in on the situation. Though he tells you what you are there for, nothing prepares you for what happens next.

What does the chief of staff of the Air Force and ham have in common? It all has to do with sense — common sense.