Warrior to become Web-based only

  • Published
  • By Valerie Mullett
  • 341st Space Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Effective July 27, production of the High Plains Warrior by the 341st Space Wing Public Affairs Office will cease. The change is being driven by decisions made in Washington, D.C., and is supported by command- and wing-level leadership across the Air Force. 

In a letter to commanders in November 2006, Secretary of the Air Force Director of Public Affairs Col. Michelle Johnson addressed two key issues that are prompting this change - a 30 percent reduction in public affairs manpower and Air Force Smart Operations 21. 

"Based on the recommendations of the AFSO21 working group, the course of action we adopted is to transition to a real-time online Web presence using the Public Web," she said. "In other words, migrate from a hard-copy newspaper to a Web-based one."
In his subsequent letter in December 2006, Col. Les Kodlick, Air Force Space Command director of public affairs, paints a picture of how labor intensive newspapers are. 

"Air Force-wide it takes approximately 4,000 man hours every week to produce hard-copy newspapers. This equates to an estimated $16 million annually," he said. He added that PA professionals produce 122 products using about 380 full- or part-time employees and at a typical base, 23 hours are spent producing weekly stories and 22 hours are devoted to editing. Additionally, it takes another 16 to 20 hours in layout and design. 

"The working group calculated the average newspaper team spends 30 to 40 percent of their time in design and layout, as well as managing the proofing process," explained Capt. Elizabeth Mathias, chief of public affairs here. "Eliminating the printed product will allow more time for producing better quality stories and photos more frequently, ultimately keeping Airmen informed in pace with civilian news products. This process serves a broader audience as well, since information will reach on- and off-base audiences simultaneously." 

Research has shown that Airmen, and retirees, have access to computers and are already going online for their pay and personnel needs. Having access to the base news via Air Force Link and the Air Force Portal is a natural step in this progression.
Air Force Space Command directed its bases to conform to the new Air Force Public Web back in October 2006 and the public affairs staff here has been actively posting and updating information on the Web site since then. This is an external, public Web site accessible from any computer on- or off-base. The site is located at http://www.malmstrom.af.mil. 

Starting in August, the PA staff will continue covering events as they have in the past, writing stories and taking photographs, for posting to this Web site. Having the burden of layout and design removed will allow PA staff to cover events in a more timely manner and to post coverage of those events almost as soon as they occur. 

Leadership at the Great Falls Tribune, who currently prints the High Plains Warrior, has indicated they would like to continue printing a product to be delivered on base in the Warrior's place. Its content would be taken from the Malmstrom Web site, and the paper's look will be similar to what people are used to seeing now. But it will be a Great Falls Tribune product. 

More information will be published as the details become available. In the meantime, readers are asked to visit the site for timely information about Malmstrom Air Force Base. 

"Our Air Force is transforming itself while simultaneously fighting a war. We have to find new and innovative ways to keep our Airmen informed," said Col. Sandy Finan, 341st Space Wing commander. "If you haven't looked at the external Web site yet, now is a good time to become familiar with it."