Time has come, end far from near

  • Published
  • By Jasmine DeNamur
  • 919th SOW Public Affairs
DUKE FIELD, Fla. --  My fellow Dukers, the time has come to say, "Goodbye," to the Midnight Express and embrace its digital version. 

I know it is difficult to change your comfort level, and though sitting in front of a screen to read anything can't be good for the eyes, it is the way of the future. You've heard how quick news will be published and how easy you can access it, so I'll spare you the 30-second commercial highlight and tell you about the special edition issue. 

I skimmed through more than 300 newspapers and pulled the most influential and significant stories that were published from 1973 to today. There is no way the last 12-page issue could possibly cover every major event in the history of Duke Field. Needless to say, the picking process was a little more difficult than deciding what's behind door number one or two. 

In reviewing stories, it seemed as though major awards were being presented to reservists every month. Of course, this is not surprising given the 919th Special Operations Wing is one of the most highly decorated wings in Air Force Reserve Command. With that, I kept award stories minimal and focused more on historical events, such as mission changes, Sept. 11, 2001 and Hurricane Katrina. The articles and photos are printed in their original state, writing style and all. 

Another feature of the issue is that I bumped the page number back up to 12 pages to be able to fit all the stories and make it more distinguishable as a final newsletter. This is an issue you will probably want to keep for your memoirs. 

Like high-waisted bell-bottoms and teased 1980s hair, it will only be a matter of time before the wing newspaper comes back in print in some other fashion. In fact, we're planning to produce a quarterly wing almanac, which will encompass leadership biographies, fact sheets and highlights on the accomplishments of the wing and its members. Sure, it is not the Midnight Express, but it too will keep newcomers, the local community and civic leaders in touch with what we do and who we are. 

Who we are - that is perhaps the most important point in this cynical work. What this change boils down to is our identity as members of the 919th SOW. We each play an integral role in protecting the U.S., down to the newbie fresh out of basic training to the most experienced commander. 

Spookies, Dukies or anything else you want to call us, we're continuously streamlining the way we operate from the public affairs realm to the special operations crews. We have, are and are going to tell Duke Field's story one medal at a time whether it is on paper or through a computer screen. After all, doing the best is what we do, well, the best.