182nd Airlift Wing Commentaries

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion course being offered August 7th

Senior Master Sgt. Marlon Burton — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 13:11:00 GMT

I will be offering Intro to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion course on RSD Saturday August 7th, 2021 at 12:00-1pm in the LRS classroom. There is a maximum of 16 participants allowed, get with your training managers or First Sergeants if you want to sign up for the course in ARCNET.

An Illinois National Guard journey to Poland

Chaplain Michael Doan — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 19:19:13 GMT

Imagine your nation was attacked and your military was severely outmatched. After a few weeks of resistance and hard losses, your country was taken over. Your government – gone. Your borders – gone. Your land, your home – taken away. When the world map is unrolled, the name of your nation is no longer there…

What do you need to know to effectively raise awareness about suicide prevention?

Mr. Matthew Palmisano — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 16:58:18 GMT

What do you need to know to effectively raise awareness about suicide prevention?

Losing your “COVID-19”

Maj. Jacob Hopping — Fri, 28 May 2021 15:02:00 GMT

Between the global pandemic shutting down gyms and the Air Force halting fitness assessments, a lot of you reading this are going to have to drop your “COVID-19”. During my activation from March through May 2020, I gained about 15 pounds.

God Fights for Us

Chaplain (Maj.) Scott Wilson — Fri, 28 May 2021 14:50:00 GMT

Recently I was reading some Israeli history from the Bible (1 Samuel) where Israel prayed (actually demanded) to have a king like the other nations. Even though they were warned what a bad idea this was, they insisted, “No! We want a king so that we will be like all the nations, and so our king may rule over us and fight our battles,” (1 Sam 8:19-20).

Chaplain Corps offering free online relationship enrichment training

Chaplain (Capt.) Daniel Wilton — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 18:33:00 GMT

Our 182nd Chaplain Corps is hosting and facilitating two upcoming Saturday Seminars full of free online relationship enrichment training. The schedule is arranged so that any who are interested can attend any, or all, of the training sessions virtually. You can come and go as you please.

With spring comes new opportunities

Chaplain (Capt.) Daniel Wilton — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 19:23:19 GMT

The 17-year cicadas (locust-like insects) are about to reemerge in the Midwest from the ground after 17 years of very slow development. Once they emerge, their songs produced could be as loud as 100 decibels.

Let’s Get Informed About Binge Drinking

Mr. Matthew Palmisano — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 20:10:55 GMT

The holidays are behind us but we are still in the middle of the COVID pandemic. There are many risks of drinking too much, however, drinking is still seen as a fun activity. But as we know it can be a slippery slope from one drink to binge drinking.

Getting Through This Time We Live In

Mr. Matthew Palmisano — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 05:00:00 GMT

The new normal due to the COVID-19 pandemic can make it difficult for families, friends, and community members to maintain healthy relationships. The stay-at-home and physical distancing requirements may feel overwhelming for families and isolating for friends and communities. Here are a few tips that can help you and your family get through this time we live in.

Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape™

Mr. Tobey Beagle — Sun, 06 Oct 2019 10:00:00 GMT

We’ve made many technological advancements in fire prevention and safety over the last 100 years, but one of the most important and one of the most low-tech aspects of fire safety hasn’t changed, and that is having a plan. What do I mean by "have a plan?" Have an escape plan to get out of wherever you’re at if it catches on fire. This is especially importantly at home and especially if you have children.

I’m not running for myself

Airman Wynndermere Shaw — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 19:17:00 GMT

My feet hit the ground and within a large team of people I start my run. I’m grateful for the sun and forgiving weather, but even on a dreary day I would still be here running. Maybe it was the sun shining light in support and for a bright change, and if it was raining I would’ve seen it as the rain releasing all of the sorrow and suffering that is being held.

A Uniform: The Cloth of Our Nation

Senior Master Sgt. Greg Koger — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 13:04:40 GMT

Back in 1981, our unit did our two-week annual training at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. I was 21. It was a community relations mission, indoor concert, at a retirement home. I remember this so clearly. A resident came up to me — a woman, an elderly woman — and she looked at me, and she said, “Steve! Steve! I knew you’d come back.” And she hugged me. I’m 21, thinking “Oh boy, what’s this all about,” you know?

How the military saved my college career

2nd Lt. Sam Norville — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 14:29:44 GMT

I always talked about joining the Air National Guard in high school, but education was so engrained in me growing up that I didn’t think twice about college when the time came. I packed up, headed for the University of Illinois at Springfield and quickly learned that it was going to be very difficult to pay for my own schooling without an income if I didn’t want to go into serious student loan debt.

Our community stands ready for disaster

Chief Master Sgt. Clifford Otto — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 15:50:00 GMT

Our community stands ready when disaster strikes. Under a Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, or MABAS, umbrella, Peoria County agencies plan, prepare, train and respond to a multitude of incidents and emergencies all over the county. Thirty-eight agencies and more than 200 exercise participants took part in the General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport full-scale mass casualty exercise last month. Required every three years by the Federal Aviation Administration, the April 22 exercise simulated an aircraft crash with 57 passengers requiring advanced medical treatment and expedient transportation to medical care.

Spring Cleaning…For Fitness?

Dr. Penny Brower — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 13:00:00 GMT

Most people use spring cleaning as an opportunity to get rid of the clutter in their lives. If an item doesn’t bring you joy, it’s time to let the item take a trip to the dumpster or become a treasure for someone else. Why not apply this same concept to your fitness routine?

It’s LOVE that makes the world go round!

Dr. Penny Brower — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 16:50:00 GMT

Ah… Valentine’s Day. The day for roses, chocolate, Hallmark cards, dinner and dancing, romance and the many expressions of love. What are the special things that make you feel special? What do you really mean when you say you love someone, and how important is it to love yourself, or is that just psychological mumbo-jumbo and gobbledygook?

The five seconds that could kill anybody

Staff Sgt. Lealan Buehrer — Sun, 03 Apr 2016 14:44:04 GMT

Last year John suffered a brain injury that makes him go into a daze for about five seconds at any

Adapt and overcome, or die

Staff Sgt. Lealan Buehrer — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 21:15:41 GMT

My firstborn child recently turned two months old. Amidst the irresistible joy of having a new

Becoming a social media sap: Part 2 of 4

Staff Sgt. Lealan Buehrer — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 18:38:33 GMT

February 2014 showed the Internet's ability to alter the course of careers and lives. Between a

Becoming a social media sap: Part 1 of 4

Staff Sgt. Lealan Buehrer — Wed, 07 May 2014 14:23:51 GMT

February 2014 proved social media's power to wreck reputations in the military. Now military