Hurlburt HiLites, Commando - base paper then, now

  • Published
  • By Jeffrey Michalke
  • 1st SOW History Office
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  While looking through base newspapers from years gone by, one can see all sorts of changes Hurlburt Field and the US Air Force have experienced. The early photos show the obvious with pictures of Hurlburt personnel wearing the uniform of the time period, especially the Air Commando bush hat. However, subtle items which were the norm would never be published in today's Commando. 

For instance, the 1960s editions had small photos of "pin-up" girls in bikinis or other scantly clad outfits. These pictures were supplied courtesy of the Air Force as a morale builder. The photos had no news value and were only eye candy with a short caption. 

Today, if similar photos were inserted into the base newspaper, the Military Equal Opportunity Office would be inundated with sexual harassment complaints. 

In a January, 1967 edition, a U.S. Air Force photo shows Airman 2nd Class Bruce Hoffman of the 377th Air Police Squadron, Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam, examining the body of a Viet Cong terrorist he had killed during the attempted infiltration of the base on Dec. 4, 1966. Can you imagine seeing a photo today in the Commando of a security forces or logistics readiness individual kneeling next to a dead terrorist killed while on a convoy mission in Iraq? Not only is it politically incorrect, but it's also prohibited. 

In the 1960s, vehicle safety was still in its infancy. In one edition, a base colonel is shown buckling his seat belt. Below the photo it states the base motor pool will install safety belts in personally owned vehicles for $5.50-$6 and have several colors which will match the interior of most cars. Several editions later a photo of an overturned vehicle has a caption stating the driver owed his life to wearing his safety belt. Forty years later seatbelts (and airbags) are standard equipment and seatbelt usage is not only mandatory on base but also in every state. 

A major observance from a base paper in the 1960s and early 1970s is the lack of advertisements. In years past, the Air Force funded the production of base newspapers and therefore advertising was not necessary. However, in July 1975, this began to change with two ads appearing on the last page of the paper. Eventually, the Air Force reduced funding and relied heavily on advertisers to cover the printing costs of the paper. 

That's why today's Commando has fewer stories than years past. The space is needed for advertisers in order to cover the cost of printing. But the printed paper has come to an end. 

As technology progresses, things change, and the base newspaper is the most recent victim. It's more cost effective to have articles posted on Hurlburt's Web site. Also, instead of waiting until Friday to read the current base news, articles can now be posted throughout the week in a more timely fashion. So as one era of the base newspaper ends today, another one will begin with the advent of an all electronic paper. 

From a historian's perspective, this will allow a quicker search for a story or topic. However, the tactile feeling of a newspaper between your fingers will never be replaced with mouse clicks and scrolling a computer screen.