8 Nov 2010

Arm yourself with knowledge

Last year, I was chosen to attend the month-long Senior Executive Fellows course at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The course began Oct. 16 and, as I write this, I am in my second week.I just received an excellent briefing on the importance of continuing education, with the thesis of the speech being that successful

3 Nov 2010

A social network for fitness

Overheard at the base gym between two aerobics participants, "Word has it that there's a running club forming on base and it's going to create an uber-race of ultra-runner, Fit-to-Fight-maximizing, super-athletes!""Oh yeah, well I heard they're going to make everyone do P90X and replace all the soft drinks in the vending machines with Muscle

27 Oct 2010

Nine push-ups won't kill you

I gave birth to my first child at the age of 23. I gave birth to my second child just two weeks before my 40th birthday. My youngest is 13 now. Do the math. I tell you all this to set the stage for my U.S. Air Force Fit to Fight test under the new guidelines, which for me, was in July. According to the new guidelines, I would have to do nine

29 Sep 2010

Fall and fitness are in the air

Last weekend, I traveled with 38 Team March runners on a 729th Airlift Squadron C-17 to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to participate in the Air Force Marathon. Training for an athletic event such as this is an important part of a fitness routine as it gives you a specific, measurable goal with a concrete ending date. It pushes you to

29 Sep 2010

Equal Opportunity Office spreads the word about Hispanic American Heritage Month

During the month of September and October, we as Americans have the opportunity to pay tribute to the culture and hard work of Hispanic Americans. Hispanic Heritage Month began on September 15, which is the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries. The month ends October 15, which is a few days after Columbus Day. This yearly

29 Sep 2010

Resilience means persevering

On December 31, 1879 Thomas Edison made the first public demonstration of a long-lasting incandescent light bulb in Menlo Park New Jersey. The townspeople who had witnessed the event were quite amazed at observing a source of light that could be turned on and off by simply throwing a switch--they had never seen anything like it before. Undoubtedly,

29 Sep 2010

Fire Prevention Week 2010 at March Air Reserve Base

During National Fire Prevention Week each year, we at the March Air Reserve Base Fire Department take the opportunity to remind Team March members about the importance of practicing fire safety in their home and work environments. Although we will be highlighting fire safety next week, this is something that should be on-going every minute of every

29 Sep 2010

Fire Department readies for Fire Prevention Week

Once again, National Fire Prevention Week is upon us. October 3rd through October 9th will commemorate this year's program awareness for people of all ages. Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic 1871 conflagration that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400

13 Sep 2010

Adventures at Space Camp

Last school year, when my mom asked me if I'd like to attend Air Force Space Camp in the summer, I thought, "Doesn't she remember I've wanted to be an astronaut since I could talk?!" And thus, the journey began.My parents and I started putting together an application package right away for one of the Air Force scholarships to the camp. I was so

23 Aug 2010

Cheering for the real heroes

In downtown San Antonio, the air was thick with anticipation.The throng of excited fans waited outside the hotel for most of the afternoon, hoping to catch a glimpse of a "hero." When one appeared, the crowd instantly came to life, cheering loudly as police officers worked to ensure fans kept proper distance. Cameras flashed, hands were shaken, and