It has been looming. The possible threat of a government shutdown is an ultimatum that gets more serious with each passing day. Congress’s inability to finalize a budget by the end of September may thrust the federal government again into a position where no budget has been agreed upon, therefore many employees of U.S government […]

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. —Recently, Team Minot welcomed its newest deputy commanders. U.S. Air Force Col. Benjamin Jensen and U.S. Air Force Col. George L. Chapman assumed deputy commander duties for the 5th Bomb Wing and 91st Missile Wing respectively. Jensen most recently served as Chief of the Bomber Requirements Division at Air Force […]

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. — Class is in session. The 372nd Training Squadron, Detachment 22, is an Air Education and Training Command detachment with its host command at Sheppard AFB, Texas. Det. 22 delivers aircraft maintenance training to Airmen assigned to the 5th Maintenance Group. “We have a really big focus on empowering people […]

At 57 Randy Albrecht officially retired, the first time. However, you need not spend a lot of time around Mr. Albrecht to know that one of those “sit by the lake fishing with your feet up” retirements was not going to work. His lake is home located on the shores of Lake Sakakawea near the […]

The Defense Department provides broad opportunities for service members and civilians alike, but more can be done to increase the diversity of those holding DOD positions, including Hispanic citizens, said the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.  “The department offers a variety of career opportunities in and out of uniform that span from astronomy, […]

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas (AFNS) — The Department of the Air Force is set to amend childcare fees, effective Dec. 31, in keeping with the new Department of Defense Program Fee Policy for school year 2023-2024. “The Defense Department is adjusting how much service members pay in childcare fees for the 2023-2024 school year […]

Tickets for Sertoma Seltzer and Beerfest, an annual event sponsored by the Minot Sertoma Club, are now on sale online. New this year, wine will be added to the sampling! The event will be held Saturday, October 7, at the Flickertail Gardens on the North Dakota State Fairgrounds, and will run from 4-8 p.m. This […]

Whether you keep your life organized on your smart phone or have a calendar on the wall, like me, there are some important dates coming up of events you won’t want to miss. We’ll start with October 8th at 4 PM at Anne Nicole Nelson Hall on the campus of Minot State University. The Brass […]

There have been a lot of articles recently about AM radio and its impending doom. Apparently, some auto manufacturers are eliminating AM radio from their cars, but there continues to be a pushback from government and the private sector.Someone asked me the other day if I thought AM radio will be going away? My reply […]

Quite often men behave like, well, men. At least that’s my explanation for what I am about to reveal. Men relish the tough guy persona, of which the trait of never showing pain is one of the foremost measurements of the male sex. Of course, there’s a limit to how far this illusion can successfully […]

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. —It was a hot day in August when my coworker and I walked into a warehouse with 80s rock music bouncing wall to wall. A cheery face with a grin ear to ear stepped out from behind boxes of equipment and and greeted us with a firm handshake.“Hey! Are you […]

Aircrafts have changed our way of life. We can reach almost anywhere on the planet in two days or less, and this speed has taken our societies to new heights. It’s amazing to think about the sheer weight of a plane soaring in the air, however, an aircraft’s ability to simply roll down a runway […]

“You know those small feet on the bottom of a ladder?’ Yep, I answer “Well I started below those, at the very, very bottom. I tell people I was the dirt underneath them feet” says new North Dakota State Fair Manager Craig Rudland. 2023 would mark the 42nd fair for Craig Rudland. Craig was still […]

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (AFNS) —The Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen for 2023 were recognized and honored during the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference Sept. 9-13. The 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year (alphabetically listed, by rank and command of assignment when selected) are: o Senior Master Sgt. Justin S. Cruz, […]

I came to write tonight with a different topic in mind but, as fate would have it, I’m sitting in my backyard watching the skies for the Northern Lights and realizing that I feel lucky to be at Minot. Now this is not something I ever thought I would say. I remember when my husband […]

You guys will hear me say this a million times over, the answer to making the most of any base is to build the community around you. I got the chance to sit with Randy McDonald, the Executive Director of the Minot Chapter of Together with Veterans and have a conversation with him about this […]

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas —Photographers of all ages and experience, get your cameras ready for the annual Air Force Photo Contest launched Sept. 15. The theme for this year’s contest, which runs through Nov. 14, is “101 Days of Summer.” “We’ve been asking patrons since June to capture the essence of summer through their […]

It’s a brisk fall morning. I grabbed a jacket on my way out the door knowing that more than likely it will be warmer this afternoon and the jacket will not be needed. It’s September in North Dakota, things are starting to change. Most of the birds that migrate south are gone. Above me is […]

About two weeks ago I stood in front of a group of Minot’s leaders at the Military Affairs Committee (MAC) meeting. A PowerPoint I’d probably spent too much time perfecting projected behind me. My palms were sweaty. I’d known about this day for a long time, and here it was. More than anything I wanted […]

There’s a 1941 school map of North Dakota that hangs in my garage. Knowing of my interest in geography, one of my wife’s friends gave me that map when she moved away. I look at that map every day when I’m in the garage and after six years of hanging there, it still hasn’t gotten […]