U.S. Air Force Col. Kurt Wendt, 501st Combat Support Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Daniel Keene, 501st CSW command chief, pose for a group photo with Councillor Susan Renshell, at the RAF Croughton Civic Open Day at The Crown at RAF Croughton, England, Jan. 14, 2019. The 422nd Air Base Group opened its doors to nearly 50 local civic leaders to enrich relationships with members of the local community and discuss the mission and plans for RAF Croughton and other bases in the 501st CSW. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jennifer Zima)
Something that I have heard often since I’ve been in the Air Force – and realize I repeat every time I meet a new Defender in the squadron – is that mistakes aren’t punished but crimes are. Failures are the best way to learn the right way to do things, but speaking from a career field that has been accused of “eating its own,” sometimes the distinction is lost (especially if you’re receiving paperwork). How can an individual fail in a “no fail” mission while still learning and moving forward?
Rather than try to figure this out on my own, I did what I’ve been raised to do – ask a SNCO. Thankfully, there was an answer from one of my SMSgts who summed it up as, “You succeed, mess up, screw up, or fudge up,”...
Something that I have heard often since I’ve been in the Air Force – and realize I repeat every time I meet a new Defender in the squadron – is that mistakes aren’t punished but crimes are. Failures are the best way to learn the right way to do things, but speaking from a career field that has been accused of “eating its own,” sometimes the distinction is lost (especially if you’re receiving paperwork). How can an individual...
“I was in shock because I was talking to her just 5 minutes before and I went downstairs to make a cup of tea and came back upstairs and she wasn’t breathing and didn’t have a pulse”
On Aug. 21, 2019, Robert Smith, 423rd Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, was faced with one of the most challenging situations a husband could encounter, his wife Karen was unconscious and showing no signs of life.
A setup of two separate medical clinics under one wing – the 501st Combat Support Wing – is a unique aspect to an already unique mission. But even more unique are the two commanders who lead them and the similar backgrounds they share.
Lt. Col. Elizabeth Hoettels, commander of the 423rd Medical Squadron, and Lt. Col. Robert Heil, commander of the 422nd Medical Squadron, are both prior Army soldiers, both came from a Special Forces...
The U.S. Air Forces in Europe Ambassadors Jazz Band traveled to six cities in central and western Ukraine October 6 - 20, 2019, to conduct the “Music of Freedom” tour, a community outreach and concert program aimed at celebrating the shared spirit of freedom and enduring partnership between U.S. and Ukrainian armed forces.
Meet Master Sgt. Ralph Smith, 509th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuel supervisor, deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, to RAF Fairford, England, in support of Bomber Task Force Europe.
