John Hinck, PhD

Through chapters penned by thirteen individual instructors in the U.S. Air Force’s Leader Development Course, Badges of Honor weaves together a tapestry of moving narratives that capture the most challenging lessons of each unique career. These distinct and diverse voices offer insights into what successful leadership requires, lessons learned as often from bad mistakes as from big wins, each culminating in moments of deep personal growth.

Hear from officers in aviation, weapons systems, support operations, medicine, psychology, deaconry, intelligence, command, maintenance, engineering, public affairs, education, and more, as they juggle the personal alongside the professional to navigate one of the most sprawling and dynamic organizations in history. For civilians as well as warriors, this collection of stories of triumph and mirth, defeat and tribulation—stories of the head, heart, and hand—will send your spirit soaring like a fighter jet and deliver it safely to the ground.

Col. John Hinck spent more than 20 years in the Army flying Apache helicopters. His career spanned a number of different leadership posts and included deployments to South Korea, Germany, Albania, and Afghanistan. As he went, he filled little green books with thousands of observations and lessons learned, and in Strength & Honor he shares 64 of the best examples of leadership and wisdom from his family, church, and the military. Learn the importance of setting a foundation, learning a craft, practicing standards of excellence, perfecting the art and science of command, and observing lifelong leadership.