First Sergeant’s Corner: Caring

This month’s AFMC connect is about Caring. Caring is at the forefront of not only being a First Sergeant, but an Airman in the United States Air Force. It is part of our Airmen’s Creed; “Never leave an Airman behind.” According to Webster’s Dictionary, caring is defined as “displaying kindness and concern for others.” There […]

Call It Giving Back

This is my last column…for 2023. So often I hear about the awesome support that the community of Minot gives the Minot Air Force Base. That may be true, but it’s a 2-way street, and it’s only fair to bring into focus what the Minot Air Force Base does for Minot, each and every year. […]

Bird Chatter

Every December dedicated bird watchers conduct Christmas Bird Counts throughout the United States. Several of the counts are conducted annually in the Minot Area. The counts are part of a national effort led by the Audubon Society.Though I have never considered myself a serious birder, I’ve been present at numerous bird counts over the years […]

Too much Christmas…

I think most people will agree that Christmas was around too long and now that it’s in the rear-view mirror we wonder where the time went. Honestly, I could have written this article two months ago, but I refused, waiting until Christmas was past before voicing my opinion about said holiday. I get why retailers […]

Minot AFB executes SURGE Week

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. —The 5th Bomb Wing conducted SURGE Week here from Dec. 12 – 14. SURGE Week tests warfighting capabilities, focusing on training efforts for scenarios where a large number of sorties need to be produced swiftly and efficiently. Typically, the goal of SURGE Week is to produce 50% more flights than […]

Transforming mental health in the Air Force

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. —Like physical fitness, good mental health is a central part of military life, and shouldn’t be hidden or ignored. There are several resources available to help Airmen struggling with mental health challenges. This year, Air Force mental health leaders implemented a new initiative to improve Airmen’s access to mental health […]

Parent Holiday Realities

Most parents won’t admit it, but being a parent is both the absolute best thing in the world and, simultaneously, the worst. Some painfully honest parents will admit that the tiny joyful moments and everlasting love feelings we have for our kids don’t always squash the overwhelming stress, confusion, discipline and tiredness that also comes […]

In The Spirit of Christmas

The CP Rail, now the CPKC Holiday Train has been making annual visits to the Magic City for 25 years. On Saturday Downtown Minot was packed as families gathered to greet and view the train as it made a stop at the north end of Main Street. The weather was absolutely perfect with temperatures hovering […]

Airport Humanity

In the lives of my children, few joys exceed that of airport moving walkways. I was reminded of this last week when we flew home to North Dakota, after being out of state for a whopping three months. Giddy anticipation, they galloped through crowds—often dragging me along behind. Once at the edge, where they could […]