AMC changes public Web as AF seeks standardization Published March 20, 2006 By Joe Bela Air Force Print News SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) -- Headquarters Air Mobility Command launched its new public Web site today, following an Air Force plan to consolidate all Web content and standardize the appearance of its public sites worldwide. The command joins Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Force Reserve Command, and Air Force Materiel Command, who launched similar sites recently as part of the Air Force Public Web program, or AFPW.“We took our existing Web content and transferred it to the Air Force Public Web. The program takes us out of the Web page creation business and allows us to focus on our primary job of disseminating information to the public sector,” said Jacque Devine, AFPW group manager for AMC headquarters at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. A Secretary of the Air Force for Public Affairs initiative, AFPW centralizes Web content and establishes a global network for all of the service’s public sites, including those originating at major commands, wings and specialty organizations like the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The AFPW program is the logical solution to aesthetic and security concerns Air Force Web sites face today said Les Benito, chief of the Air Force Public Web Division at headquarters Air Force News Agency. "Many organizations continue to work independently, producing a sizeable network of sites that vary considerably in appearance and content,” Mr. Benito said. “There is no consistency from one site to the next. And under current guidelines, some content may not be suitable for the public.“Consequently, we were asked to provide the expertise, hosting environment, technology and training necessary to establish the Air Force Public Web program. To that end, we’ve gathered a group of military and civilian professionals with the skills and background needed to make it work,” he said. Experts train group and Web site managers at every organizational level. Group managers administer the AFPW program for their commands to ensure its integrity. “It has several objectives,” said Tech. Sgt. Jason Johnson, technical team lead for Air Force Public Web, “to centralize all Air Force public Web content, streamline the review process, standardize content presentation, and decrease infrastructure cost, while improving overall security. "The backbone of the AFPW program is a content management tool called the Air Force Public Information Management System, or AFPIMS. It is designed to assist Web site managers with content creation and publishing tasks by allowing users to upload content into predetermined templates. “We implemented the concept of a content management system for Air Force Link in 2001,” Sergeant Johnson said. The system was further developed and has evolved into AFPIMS. “Basically, it allows site managers to move content from their non-standardized Web site and arranges it into a standardized format under the Air Force Public Web,” he said. The results have been largely successful since the first public Web sites went “live” in November 2005. “People should be looking forward to it (AFPW). The distribution of public information is much more efficient and standardized,” said Ms. Devine. “What used to take us 30 minutes, we can now do in five.” “Air Force Public Web has lifted the burden off of the Air Force PA and SC communities. It has simplified the process,” said Phil Rhodes, AFPW Group Manager for AFRC at Robins AFB, Ga. “Now we have a tool that allows us to maintain control of our content, while the system takes care of the technical side of delivering the content.” With AMC’s addition, the AFPW now hosts 35 active sites, about 14 percent of the more than 250 Air Force sites that exist.“Our goal is to have every Air Force public site on board by the summer of 2008,” said Mr. Benito. “But because no two Web sites are exactly the same, we have to find innovative ways of dealing with these processes. We’re learning new things as we go, and we’ve got over a dozen people here working behind the scenes to make this happen. “We want visitors to easily find Web content, no matter which Air Force site they visit,” he said. “We want them to recognize an Air Force Web site when they see one, and we’re all focused on getting the job done right, so our Web sites portray the professional image everyone associates with the Air Force.”