The Air Force plans to cut some 25 percent of its Public Affairs force that produce base newspapers, slicing 200 out of 800 airmen. The remaining 600 will shift—if they haven’t already—to full court press on the World Wide Web. The result, officials believe, will be a stronger and faster connection to Air Force personnel and their families, wherever they are. CMSgt. Janice Conner, the PA career field manager, says, “With the new Web management system, we can post content to Air Force Web sites within eight minutes.” In the old paper stream, it would take PA from “three to 10 days” to get an article out, she said. Some newspapers, including the Space and Missile Times that has operated for some 50 years, already have printed their last paper copies.
The 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first standalone Reserve unit in the Air Force to get its own F-35s, welcoming the first fighter Nov. 5.