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  • What will they think of me?

    I hear the drumming beneath my chest as I step in front of the audience. This counterproductive uptick in heart rate rushes the adrenaline to my system. Dilated pupils, increase in respiration, sweaty palms--check, check and check. These are natural responses that heighten the senses, causing the

  • The importance of preparation

    Many people across our country are busy preparing for various activities. Some people are preparing to enter a new academic year in high school or college, while others arepreparing for new additions to their families or even for military deployments. Each of these events is significant, and by

  • From pyramids to plates: Teaching children to live healthy lifestyles

    From the moment our children come into the world -- kicking and screaming -- we parents are bombarded with a variety of decisions to make on their behalf. Should they be breastfed or get formula? Should they be vaccinated? Is it better to circumcise or not to circumcise? These questions fly at new

  • Family is important

    The word family means different things to different people. Some people have traditional family experiences, while others have non-traditional family experiences. As military personnel, we have a shared relative: Uncle Sam.Uncle Sam provides a salary, uniforms, opportunities to travel domestically

  • MARCH MINUTES: An Air Force reservist Sea Cadet leader

    March Minutes is a regular feature in The Beacon newspaper where Team March members in various career fields share their day in 130-character lines. Tech. Sgt. Gordon "Tony" Cartland was in the Navy for eight years before joining the Air Force Reserve. When he is not at March Air Reserve Base or

  • VIEW FROM THE TOP: Preparing for deployment

    As many of you know, I am preparing to deploy to Afghanistan later this summer. Here, I want to share some details about what I'm going to be doing on deployment and how I've been preparing.My deployment is six months long and I will be the deputy to the air component element for Afghanistan. The

  • Seamless integration

    Some people may have noticed a growing number of new faces here at March Air Reserve Base since last September when the 912th Air Refueling Squadron reactivated and added more than 200 people to Team March. For those who don't know, the 912th is an active duty associate unit that is a tenant on the

  • CHAPLAINS' CORNER: Remembering our past to ensure our future

    At the end of this month, we will celebrate Memorial Day once again. For many, it is a chance to enjoy a day off from work, perhaps go on a family outing or look for "savings events" which a variety of stores will offer.But for many Americans, and certainly for those of us in the military,

  • Are you ready for the 101 Critical Days of Summer?

    Are you ready for the 101 Critical Days of Summer? Unfortunately, 16 Airmen were not ready last year during the period from Memorial Day through Labor Day.Some were reckless and demonstrated poor decision making, while a few were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Common factors in many of these

  • VIEW FROM THE TOP: Back to Basic

    At the beginning of this month, I accompanied a group of squadron commanders, chief master sergeants and supervisors from our wing to visit the Basic Military Training wing at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. As leaders, it is important to have an understanding of what our Airmen are learning during