An MQ-9 Reaper sits on the flight line at Hurlburt Field, Fla., May 3, 2014.The MQ-9 Reaper is an armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft that is employed primarily as an intelligence-collection asset and secondarily against dynamic execution targets. (U.S. Air Force photo illustration/Staff Sgt. John Bainter)

Commentaries

Goodbye Midnight Express, hello express news

  • Published
  • By Maj. Terry Lisenbee
  • 919th SOW Public Affairs
DUKE FIELD, Fla. --  It's the dreaded moment you've all been waiting for. Starting in June, the award-winning Midnight Express will no longer be printed. 

Yes, yes, I'm deeply sorry to have to tell you that from now on, if you want to be informed on the latest Duke Field news and information, you're going to have to visit the wing's public Web site at www.919sow.afrc.af.mil. 

It gets worse - now you'll get to know about news here almost as soon as it happens, instead of waiting for pictures from a unit training assembly awards ceremony to show up in the next month's issue. 

Sarcasm aside, it's really not that bad. Sure, you won't be receiving a physical paper in the mail anymore and now you're going to have to replace your, lets say, dinner-time reader, but the change is all for the better. 

Actually, we've been publishing wing news online since May 2007 - the same month we reduced the size of the paper from 12 pages to eight as a transition point to going paperless. 

Due to budget restraints and projected manpower realignments, the Department of Defense has been searching for ways to streamline processes and funds. The top "survey says" option pointed toward the utilization of the fast-paced world of the internet, where the publicizing of news gives the word-of-mouth method a run for its money. 

In fact, money played a major role in the reason for the transition. Did you know that by completely cutting the printing of the paper, we not only get news to you as it happens, but we also save the wing more than $35,000 annually? Here's another example to give you a better perspective: we saved more than $10,000 last year alone by cutting four pages - just four pages! 

That's a hunk of change that can be used toward mission requirements and anything else vital to the function of the wing. 

Not to play down the importance of the paper by any means, but Air Force officials believed the transition from a hardcopy newspaper to a web-based format was an innovative way to meet the challenges of our ever-changing mission, and we agreed. 

By doing this we're able to keep you updated on wing news and give you what will seem like a 24-hour backstage pass to the newspaper, without having to wait for next month's issue. 

You will not only have instant news at your fingertips, but you can browse through fact sheets, a photo and art gallery, newspaper archives, and much more wing and Air Force information. 

So what are you waiting for? Come and check us out online. It's simple and fast, and we're open to your suggestions to make your experience more informative. 

If you need assistance or want any information added to the site you may contact the Public Affairs Office by calling us at 883-6347 or e-mailing us at 919sow.midnightexpress@eglin.af.mil.