Same career field, different jobs: Oklahoma Air National Guardsmen visit AFN-UK

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kate Maurer
  • 100th Air Refuling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Wide-eyed and ready to learn, three Oklahoma Air National Guard Public Affairs Airmen from Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, got a chance to see the other side of their career field when they visited American Forces Network-United Kingdom July 23, 2014, on RAF Feltwell, England, during their temporary duty assignment to RAF Mildenhall.

Oklahoma Air National Guardsmen Master Sgt. Mark Moore, 138th Fighter Wing photojournalist from Tulsa, Oklahoma; Tech. Sgt. Jeffery Foster, 138th FW broadcast journalist from Eclectic, Alabama; and Staff Sgt. Karl Schwach, 138th FW broadcast journalist from Tulsa, Oklahoma, all said this was their first time visiting an AFN facility and agreed this unique opportunity was "really cool."

Public Affairs shops exist at nearly every U.S. Air Force base worldwide and their main mission is to get command information out to the base and local populace. AFN's primary mission is to entertain. However, both entities are manned by U.S. Air Force broadcast journalists.

"There are Airmen who spend their whole career stateside that never see AFN," said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Michael Wykes, AFN-UK broadcast journalist from Pensacola, Florida. "It's good to inform anyone about us, especially people in our own career field."

The ANG doesn't have AFN because AFN is strictly based overseas and, unless deployed or at a temporary duty assignment overseas, ANG Airmen are all stationed state-side. While on their tour, the ANG Public Affairs Airmen had the opportunity to see AFN's board of upcoming stories, camera and tripod equipment, sound booth and automation room. The automation room is where AFN Airmen program their spots and upload AFN schedules so the local area may continue to receive their service.

"I had never even met anyone who was assigned to AFN," said Moore. "Just to see how they do their job, the equipment they use and the emphasis they have on the bigger picture was a great experience."