C M Y K Vol. 36, No. 06 Friday, February 6, 2009 NCOs stepping up to lead - page 14 COMMENTARY Thoughts for the New Year – today by Col. William Francis deep breath and said that he had to get back 6th Mission Support Group Commander to his load as he had a ways to go before he could stop for the day. He bent down picked The other day I saw a man pulling a trail- up the trailer and strained off into the dis- er fully loaded down the slow lane of Dale tance. As I watched him slowly fade from Mabry, he was struggling mightily against sight I wondered how long it would take an unbelievable load and so I pulled over him to get where he was going and why he and approached him. As I got close, he was did not just stop, put the trailer down and breathing hard, sweat dripping from his face, leave his burdens right there on the side of his clothes drenched with sweat and I asked the road. And then I realized that I have to him if he needed help, if he was OK. He fight not to do the same thing, I do not actu- said, he was fine, that he did not need any ally pull around a heavily loaded old trailer help and in fact that he did this everyday (and thankfully there is not a man pulling throughout the year. At this point he pulled a trailer everyday down Dale Mabry) but I the trailer off of the road out of traffic, wiped will cling to things that slow me, that burden his brow and explained to me that when me, that discourage me if I am not careful. he was old enough to become aware of his Thankfully, there is a visible, noticeable be- shortfalls, failures and disappointments he ginning and end of each day. I use the sunset began to carry them around on this trailer. as a reminder to learn from the mistakes of He would add to them for an entire year and the day, and then to let them go and the sun- on Dec. 31 he would dump all of them off the rise reminds me all is new and I can run the trailer (except for a few special ones that he new day free from the burden of the past…if had decided to hold onto for his entire life). I choose to. We will achieve more of the goals He admitted he was getting older and the we set for this year if we break them down Col. William Francis number of “permanent” burdens was getting into small, specific daily goals and work to- bigger and so the trailer was heavier each day to achieve today’s goals. We are much dens of the past into the fight of the present year on Jan. 1 than in the previous year. He more inclined to discipline ourselves for a day, and each one of us will choose whether was not sure how much longer he was going day than we are for a year and we are much to focus on distant general goals or on the to be able to carry the load, but sure looked more likely to accomplish a small specific specific goals of the day. In the end we will forward to each “New Year” when he could goal than we are a large general one. Each suffer one of two types of pain, the pain of dump some of his load and start again fresh. one of us has goals this year, each one of us daily discipline or the pain of yearly regret… At this point, he stretched his back, took a will choose each day if we will carry the bur- the choice is ours today. the Air Force or the 6th Air Mobility Wing. 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Every article and photograph is edited for accuracy, clarity, not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by the U.S. Display advertising or classified advertising information brevity, conformance with the “Associated Press Stylebook government, the Department of Defense, the Department of may be obtained by calling 259-7455. and Libel Manual” and Air Force Instruction 35-101. NEWS/FEATURES Your T-bolt Today MacDill Airman takes top female NEWS/FEATURES: page 4 vocalist title at talent competition RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, New chief for CENTCOM Texas (AFNS) — The best 13 Airmen were selected from 77 bluesuiters gath- ered for the Air Force Worldwide Talent Search Jan. 11 through 19 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. NEWS/FEATURES: page 4 The Air Force’s “top talent” were cho- sen after 10 days of auditions, rehears- Action line: solving your problems als and interviews, which culminated in three nights of competition, as the best performer took home the “Roger” award for first place, and the second place win- NEWS/FEATURES: page 6 ner received the “Wilco” award. The winners are: Deployed stories u Best Female Vocalist went to Staff Sgt. Aisha Smith from MacDill AFB, Fla., and Staff Sgt. Naomi Keen from Lackland AFB took second place. u Male Vocalist went to Staff Sgt. Rick NEWS: page 7 Rosales from Keesler AFB, Miss., and Staff Sgt. Wendell Boone from Andrews AFB, Md., took second place. 6S initiative explained u Specialty went to Staff Sgt. James Warren from Eielson AFB, Alaska, and Airman 1st Class Jamie Hull from Fairchild AFB, Wash., took second place. NEWS: page 8 u Instrumental went to Airman 1st Class Shane Jones from Hickam AFB, AF nurse commissionings Hawaii, and 2nd Lt. Mara Title from Los Angeles AFB, Calif., took second place. u Dance went to Airman 1st Class NEWS: page 15 Malik Thorne from Dover AFB, Del., and Airman 1st Class Emanuel Simmons II from Malmstrom AFB, Mont., took sec- MacDill AirFest; are you ready? ond place. Air Foce Photo u Vocal Self-Accompanied went to MacDill’s own Staff Sgt. Aisha Smith won Airman 1st Class Malcolm Hudson from first place in the Female Vocalist catego- NEWS/FEATURES: page 16 Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, and Se- ry during the Air Force Worldwide Talent nior Airman Marc Hightower from Can- Search Jan. 11 through 19 held at Lack- non AFB, N.M., took second place. African American history land Air Force Base, Texas. u Technician went to Airman 1st Class Aaron Elliot from Hurlburt Field, Fla. u Best of Show went to Staff Sgt. Rick number of entertainers and the quality Rosales from Keesler AFB. of the performances this year were espe- DIAMOND SHARP: page 10 In addition to competing for World- cially high.” wide Talent Search honors, the Airmen Ms. Smith said the revamped Tops In And the winner is... also auditioned for spots on the Tops In Blue Web site, which now makes it eas- Blue roster. ier for Airmen to submit their audition “Even though the competition was videos, was one of the keys to the infu- keen, it was great to see the camaraderie sion of new talent. and sense of family that formed among “We had more participants at this COMMUNITY: page 24 the participants,” said Terri Smith, the year’s event than we’ve had in a long Air Force Entertainment’s operations co- time and a lot of that was due to the Web Events, chapel schedule, more... ordinator at the Air Force Services Agen- site,” she said. “Since launching it late cy in San Antonio. “The Air Force has last year, we’ve seen a big increase in in- always been loaded with talent, but the terest and applications.” NEWS/FEATURES U.S. CENTCOM welcomes new SEL CSM Hill takes over as USCENTCOM’s top enlisted leader by. Sgt. Rick Nelson of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Combat Correspondent Coast Guardsmen, civilians and families of USCENTCOM. Personnel from U.S. Central Command “He is an absolutely outstanding noncom- filled the seats of the Davis Conference Cen- missioned officer and is going to be a tre- ter with anticipation, much like NFL fans mendous command senior enlisted leader for who attended the Super Bowl at Raymond CENTCOM,” said Petraeus. “And I should James Stadium, as the commander of U. S.