Rewritten Airman’s Manual coming Published July 9, 2004 By Tech. Sgt. David A. Jablonski Air Force Print News WASHINGTON -- An Airman’s most important deployment tool just got better.The original Air Force Manual 10-100, the “Airman’s Manual,” published in 1999, has been revised and updated and hits the streets July 19. “Within four weeks, we will distribute more than 675,000 copies to every active-duty member, reservist and guardsman,” said David Epstein, the training and publications manager for the Air Force civil engineer readiness branch. An electronic version is already available on the Air Force portal.A working group of contract writers and active-duty subject-matter experts from a cross-section of Air Force specialties began the revision in October 2003. The manual was completed in January and went to press June 9.One major improvement combines the manual with Air Force Handbook 32-4014, Volume 4, “USAF Ability to Survive and Operate Procedures in a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Environment.” This consolidated the two publications from 400 pages to about 250 and put them both into one easy-to-carry booklet that fits into the battle dress uniform pants cargo pocket.Another important feature is the addition of about 20 pages of potential life-saving information, Steve Prier said. He is the Full Spectrum Threat Response publication manager and program manager for the Airman’s Manual at the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The section is tabbed, in easy-to-read simple text, and states specific “need-to-know-now” actions such as post-attack and shelter-in-place actions, weapons jam procedures, self-aid and buddy care and how to identify unexploded ordnance. It can even be read using night-vision goggles.“The experts reviewed each section to ensure accuracy, then added essential information from lessons learned from operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, or any other items they found to be important over past five years,” Mr. Prier said. The team visited Lackland AFB, Texas, to test the draft manual on basic training graduates who recently completed Warrior Week.Every bluesuiter will get a copy of the manual, with deployed and deploying Airmen getting their copies first through their unit deployment managers. Certain emergency-essential civilians and contractors will also get them.“It’s weather-proof, tear-resistant and just about indestructible,” Mr. Epstein said. “It’s a great medium for this compilation of existing war skills tactics, techniques and procedures.”