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Commander’s Commentary—January 2006

Col Kay Joslin Walling

It’s the beginning of a new year and with the beginning of the new year come the inevitable resolutions. Perhaps the reason we resolve so steadfastly this particular time of the year is that beginnings are a good time to assess the past and look forward to the future. With that in mind, I propose some resolutions for Maryland Wing and ask that you join me.

Let us resolve that we will work together as a team to accomplish our goals. No one part of Maryland Wing can work in isolation from another. Everything we do is interconnected. In December, Maryland Wing began assisting the squadrons hosting our three main mission bases (Glenn L. Martin, Wicomico, and Hagerstown) with hi-speed, business class, cable Internet so that we could create wireless networks. While this is a technology project, it impacts our ability to perform emergency services so IT needed to work with ES to make sure the network met their needs and ES needed to evaluate various emergency service computer programs to assess which was the best fit for Maryland Wing. At the same time, cadets will be using the computers not only in emergency services, but also for cadet activities. Aerospace education can use the network to download information from a variety of sources or to produce information about squadron projects. Professional development will be able to use the network to keep up with senior member education or to provide easy access for advanced education opportunities. The opportunities are endless so we must work together rather than in isolation.

Let us resolve to communicate our ideas to the whole team rather than running with an idea individually. Face-to-face meetings are by far the best way to discuss ideas. Maryland Wing’s primary meeting days are the first Saturday of the month and the third Monday of the month. Make attendance a priority. While Maryland certainly is not the largest geographic area, we do face travel challenges. When it’s not possible to attend a meeting in person, find an alternate way to communicate. We can communicate via telephone and e-mail, and now Maryland Wing has a new online conferencing system so that up to ten people can discuss an issue online. We are more efficient and more effective when the team communicates and moves together.

Maryland Wing will always face challenges of time, budget, and resources. By working together as a team and by making communication with all members of the team a priority we can overcome those challenges.

A resolution is nothing more than a goal to create a new habit. It has been said that it takes thirty days of performing a new action for that action to become a habit. Let’s begin today to act like a team and to communicate with all the team members. Who knows what we’ll be able to accomplish come February.

Sincerely,

Colonel Walling's signature

KAY JOSLIN WALLING, Colonel, CAP
MDWG/CC