Commentary Search

  • The Yule Lads of Iceland - Pranksters of the North

    Quite a few of us were lucky enough to spend some time in Iceland as part of our 2016 European deployment. The trip took place in the Spring of that year, so things were just starting to warm up from the long cold winter. While seeing the sun for an extended period of time was nice, we did miss our

  • National Fire Prevention Month

    October is National Fire Prevention month. The 104th Fighter Wing fire department takes aggressive steps to ensure that we limit the fire threat to the unit to ensure mission readiness.

  • NEW SEVERE LUNG DISEASE AMONG VAPERS

    An outbreak of severe lung disease among users of electronic cigarettes continues to spread to new patients and states, and public health officials say it's too soon to point to a cause.Vaping was initially heralded as a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes and was supposed to be a way for

  • Europe 2016: How Your Sacrifice Impacted American Security

    The 104th Fighter Wing is small. It's lean. It's efficient. It's a tight-knit family. And this spring, it had a huge impact on national security. It was amazing for me to see how our little base projected global power and gave our national leadership just a little more political capital. The entire

  • Commander’s Column

    The Civil Engineer Squadron is a highly diverse organization, including explosive ordinance disposal, emergency management, fire department, engineering and facility operations and maintenance. These functions do not necessarily overlap and you may find yourself asking, "What does EOD have to do

  • Commander’s Column

    "I was once a Barnestormer!" I know I'll repeat this phrase many times over the course of my retirement years, and each time I do, my face will be beaming with pride.First of all, congratulations on the successful Unit Effectiveness Inspection (UEI)! The overall grade of EFFECTIVE definitely goes in

  • Commander’s Column

    Last month we held a Strategic Planning conference at the Southbridge Convention Center. Approximately 50 members from the wing, representing all groups, AFSCs, ranks and statuses, met to discuss the future of the 104th Fighter Wing. Our goal for this event was to determine what the wing should look

  • Commander’s Column

    Happy Holidays!Another year has rushed by in what seems to be a blink of an eye! As we wind down 2014 and look to the future of 2015, we have much to be proud of and thankful for as a wing. The year 2014 was witness to several firsts for the wing. Here are some of the highlights...While executing

  • Commander’s Column

    "Happy fiscal New Year!"Fiscal year 2014 comes to a close and we start another fiscal cycle here at the 104th. The good news is that we are under a Continuing Resolution and have money to operate until mid-December. The bad news is we are not really sure where the DoD and ANG budgets will fall.

  • Commander's Column

    Staying relevant is hard work.As I walk around the base and speak to members of our Wing, I have noticed I am asked a reoccurring question, "Sir, why are we so busy?" The answer is not a simple one. It has to do with both the strategic changes affecting the National Guard over the last two plus