On November 7th, Colonel Donald Grannan published a commentary exploring the failure of the Air Force to retain a bright young NCO with a promising future and impeccable record. Over the next 48 hours, the piece registered an estimated 300,000 views and racked up more than 18,000 votes of approval on the official page of Wright-Patterson Air Force base. It was shared, forwarded, and emailed hundreds of thousands of times, spurring energetic commentary on dozens of social media sites frequented by airmen up and down the chain of command. The reach of this article is without circumstantial precedent, and it reflects Grannan’s skill and candor in touching a nerve by surfacing widely held frustrations. Airmen are dying to be ably led. Grannan spoke that truth aloud and shamed his own service for failing to see to it.