After a three-year hiatus, the hard-copy version of the Air Force’s Afterburner retiree newsletter is returning via a special funding grant, the service announced Tuesday. The reason is because not every retiree has computer access to view the electronic version. However, keeping the publication’s costs in check is key to the longevity of the resurrected hard copy, which last appeared in August 2006. Accordingly, those retirees and surviving spouses with computer access, especially those living abroad, are being urged to forego the hard copy in favor of continuing to access the online version at the service’s retiree Web site. “We need to do everything we can to keep the costs down,” said retired Lt. Gen. Steven Polk, co-chair of the Air Force Retiree Council. Retired CMSAF Gerald Murray, council co-chair, said the body will continue to rally for three annual hard-copy issues.
The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is behind schedule and may significantly overrun its expected cost, which could partially explain why the service is reviving the hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid-Response Weapon.