Kevin Sweeney knows pressure. Once when flying a mission, his plane hit an air pocket and was sent into what's called a Dutch Roll, which consists of an out-of-phase combination of "tail-wagging" and rocking from side to side. "I'll never forget the words of my crew member who went to check on the left wing engines when I asked him to see if they were on fire," Sweeney said. "He said, 'They aren't on fire. They're gone.'" Sweeney's first impulse was fear, but in a split second, another instinct took over. "I heard a little voice in me telling me to forget the fear and just work on getting out of it the way I was taught," he said. "It's easy to give in to panic and anxiety, but the secret is to gather your wits and focus on the best outcome, instead of spiraling downward contemplating the worst outcome." All four airmen on the plane received the Distinguished Flying Cross Medal, and Sweeney has gone on to a career as a successful executive, speaker and consultant. His knowledge of inflight emergencies is insightful for pilots and passengers alike, and the lessons learned from his life in the Air Force can be applied to most every element of our daily lives. Kevin Sweeney is a Lt. Colonel in the United States Air Force Air National Guard, a professional speaker and consultant, as well as author of the book Pressure Cooker Confidence, How to Lead When the Heat is On by BookSurge (www.sweeneyspeaks.com). He was a combat pilot in both Viet Nam and Desert Storm, and awarded the United States Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross, multiple Air Medals, and the Air Achievement Medal along with multiple other medals and awards. He's been an executive for a Fortune 50 company and also an Executive at a major software company. Educated with a MBA and two Bachelors degrees, he was also a collegiate All-Conference basketball player.