Commander seeking Airmen feedback via blog

  • Published
  • By Derek Kaufman
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  How do you reach Airmen who are more likely to get their news via a mouse click than from a picking up newspaper?
 
It's a question Col. Bradley D. Spacy, 88th Air Base Wing commander here, found himself asking. He hopes he has found the answer in the new 88th ABW Commander's Blog. 

The blog, or web log, will enable him to post questions about hot topics and get feedback from directly from base Airmen who can post their comments for others to read. Airmen will be able to access the blog and post comments, only from a ".mil" computer, operating on a military network. 

"Today's Airmen are hungry for information and they want to communicate with each other about issues that matter to them," Col. Spacy said. "My intent with this blog is to invite their feedback via the web." 

Spacy envisions the blog as another two-way communication tool with base Airmen and civilian employees, complementing Commander's Calls, the Commander's Access Channel and the Commander's Direct Line in the Skywrighter newspaper.
 
Initially, he intends to identify the particular topic of discussion, say something along the lines of "How can we improve the Airmen's Battle Uniform?"or "What do you think of our base fitness centers?." Then Airman can log-in, create a pseudonym to identify themselves to others, and then post their comments for the colonel and others to see. 

Col. Spacy will be identified on the blog site as "Warfighter-1" he said. 

The blog is moderated, which means member's of the 88th ABW Commander's Action Group staff will monitor blog traffic, only to intercept blogs that clearly are outside of the "rules of engagement" or appropriate usage for the blog site. Rules will be clearly posted on the site and are intended to invite open and frank exchange, but not make personal attacks or comments that would violate laws. If a posting revealed content that violates the rules, that person would be notified by the moderator. 

"I'm a pretty busy guy, but I will be the only one that writes my comments," Spacy said.  "We're going to do this and I really hope our people use it. If not, we'll do something else; but we're gonna communicate!" 

The 88th ABW Commander's Blog, which will officially go live on Monday, Sept. 15, is located at https://org.eis.afmc.af.mil/sites/88cg/88ABWblog/default.aspx. It is accessible only from a military networked computer.