My guess is if you were to think about an accident, incident, mishap or misstep, the culprit would be accountability. Accountability lies at the heart of mission accomplishment and professionalism. It is about holding ourselves to the highest standards, not because of threat of discipline, but because we aspire to excellence.

WASHINGTON — Recent news items about the use of Army medical evacuation, or MEDEVAC, helicopters in Afghanistan contain troubling information.

Life as an Airman in service to our country is honorable and rewarding. There is no higher calling than to be a part of a group of Americans who pledged their lives in our country’s defense. This choice is definitely not for the faint of heart. It takes an exceptional person just to earn the title of Airman, officer or enlisted, and the demands continue to grow the longer we serve. If you are charged with leading other Airmen, whether as a first-line supervisor, NCOIC, flight chief, commander, etc., you have a solemn obligation to serve those you lead with high standards and expectations, true compassion, up-to-date guidance, genuine caring, and most important, by splendid example. Our opstempo remains high, with a number of Airmen continuing to deploy at greater than a 1:1 deploy/dwell ratio. If you are not currently deployed, you are carrying heavier buckets of water because many of your teammates are “downrange.” We have been executing missions in Afghanistan for over 10 years now and we just completed our mission in Iraq after nearly nine years. Many Airmen have deployed “outside the wire,” many in harm’s way. Sadly, a number of our Airmen have joined our Soldier, Sailor, and Marine brothers and sisters in the ranks of wounded warriors. And tragically, we have had brave Airmen give the last full measure of devotion to our country.

First of all, Happy New Year to all of you wonderful, professional and hard-working Airmen who call McChord Field and the Pacific Northwest home. What you have accomplished over the past year has been nothing short of remarkable. In this short commentary, I want to briefly talk about something that I am fairly passionate about: Servant Leadership.

An Army Reserve corporal is in a pickle because of a bad decision at a recent political event.

The vice chief of staff of the Army has lately pointed out the number of field grade officers and senior NCOs who have never known an Army without combat.

Cindy and I would like to wish you and your Families a joyous holiday season and a very happy New Year. This is a time for family, celebration and generosity.

When I accepted the position as a full-time journalist with The Northwest Guardian, I had a pretty good idea of what I was in for … Well, I thought so, anyways.

One of the world’s greatest leaders was a gate guard who worked at the main gate of Fort Benning, Ga. What made Mr. McCoy so great was that he knew his job was more than checking ID cards. With his awesome attitude, he conveyed to every person passing through his lane that he cared.

Last night I hopped on the Internet with the intention of buying a few gifts. Money, as always, is tight, so I figured I could go bargain hunting without wasting time or gas.

Give us a leather ball and a stick to draw plays in the mud and we’ll play football. I was reminded of the simple fact that America does love this game while covering the Army-Navy flag football game near Bremerton last weekend.

We’re coming to that time of year when religious celebrations meet pagan rituals around the shortest day of the year — the Winter Solstice. Many of us moderns ignore Dec. 21, anxious to blast past it to a warmer, brighter season. But it’s been a big deal in our civilization and deserves the respect our history dictates.

Many of the Airmen, Soldiers and civilians assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord enjoyed Thanksgiving feasts with loved ones last week. Some did not. Dining facilities across the installation did some of their best work to make the holiday special and help friends substitute for Family.

As your newly appointed wing Inspector General, I wanted to introduce myself and provide a brief overview of the IG office complaint inquiries function.

When I took command of the Installation Management Command in November 2009, we set out to validate that we were doing the right things and doing things right, and to find better ways of doing business.

I recently read Gen. Robinson Risner’s book, “The Passing of the Night.”

We ask a lot of professional football players.

It is going to take a total team effort to successfully complete our Nuclear Surety Inspection that started Tuesday and ends next Monday ... and Team McChord is ready!

The name and date of Veterans Day has evolved through the years.

Military service is among the most noble of all American traditions. From Lexington and Concord to the mountain passes of Afghanistan, our nation’s Soldiers have unfailingly demonstrated the courage and values that distinguish the United States Army as the finest fighting force in the world. Your continued service ensures the ideals of duty and liberty will flourish within generations of Soldiers to come. This Veterans Day, we honor you, those who have come before you and our fellow troopers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. Thank you for what you do every day and for serving our nation with honor and integrity.

JBLM gate and road construction

Why do we practice going to war when we’re already fighting several? Because the American people are counting on us. Our civilian leaders depend on us to plan, fight and win wars. They trust us. We have the privilege of serving in the best-trained, most-educated, capable and lethal military in the world.

If you could have the ideal loving relationship, what would that look like? For some couples, it would involve a lot of time together and shared interests, and for others, it may include more space and time spent separately. There are many ways to be a loving partner, and the key is discovering what your partner needs from you, rather than what they aren’t giving to you.

I had an unforgettable day that I want to share.

A quote my husband recently put on his Facebook page sent me into a deeper thought than I had already been.

OK, it’s been more than a year since Joint Base Lewis-McChord has achieved full operational capability, so why are there still agencies on the installation clinging to their old monikers?

Four years ago this month, the Army announced the Army Family Covenant, which promised to provide Soldiers and Families a quality of life commensurate with their service.

To the men, women and Families of the armed forces of the United States:

WASHINGTON — I’ve heard Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife, Deborah, speak at a variety of events, and can’t remember a time when the topic didn’t turn at some point to military Families.