Commentary Search

  • Women Who Tell Our Stories

    The women who make up the 137th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs office share their experience telling the stories of the Airmen they work alongside in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, celebrating the theme for Women's History Month 2023.

  • New tradition, continuing legacy: 137th SOW patching ceremony

    The 137th SOW has started welcoming their newest Airmen back from training with a short patching ceremony. Airmen from across the wing watched as we were given the wing patch by Col. Christopher Gries, 137th SOW commander. Learning that we had returned to the original patch our Airmen wore during

  • The Journey: Response to Commentary

    It is true that every Airman has a story, yet most are too afraid to share it with strangers, mental health professionals, friends, family or even those closest to them. They do this for many reasons: possible rejection, judgment, shame, loss of career, or fear of the unknown. The stigma associated

  • At the Turning Point: A Commentary

    Life happens. At least that’s what people like to say about down times. Grief, anxiety, depression, anger; all symptoms of “life” when things seem to go downhill. What happens when it becomes too much, when your vehicle of life coasts downhill so fast that the brakes are just burnt out? Where is

  • Honoring the first African-American chief from the 137 SOW

    Who was the first black chief master sergeant at the 137th Special Operations Wing?  This is a question that I asked when my office began to prepare for African-American Heritage Month a little more than a year ago.  What I realized, ultimately, was that I should have been asking a different

  • Service before citizen

    I, and anyone else born as American citizens, will never fully understand the comforts and opportunities that U.S. citizenship can offer. Born into a first world country with the freedoms of an American citizen has perks that are offered in few places, perks many of us cannot fully understand

  • The Waltermire apple and the Waltermire tree

    Dedication. It's an important aspect of everyday life. A lot of personal and professional successes wouldn't be possible without it, and there is a very specific part of the American population whose everyday lives are ruled by this principle. This is the less-than-one-percent of people serving

  • Sex trafficking: don't think it doesn't happen here

         We know that sex trafficking happens in other parts of the world, yet we do not think it is happening in our backyard.     We promise the 'American Dream,' but we also hold the title of the second highest destination in the world for trafficked women and children.  Their lives are sold for

  • OPSEC - Protecting your identity from theft

         Now that vacation time is here, remember that many companies collect personal information from their customers, including names, addresses, phone numbers, bank and credit card account numbers, income and cash histories, and even Social Security Numbers.     As a result of the breadth of