Keep up with the brass, link to Air Force Web sites Published Nov. 3, 2006 By Lt. Col. Chris Atteberry 25th Flying Training Squadron Vance Air Force Base, Okla. -- We do important work here at Vance Air Force Base. Sometimes, we focus so much on our work that we forget about the larger Air Force beyond our fences. Understanding how we fit into that larger Air Force becomes easier if we keep up with current topics, know our leaders and read about where we're heading. There's a lot going on out there, and it's worth tracking the "bigger picture" for at least a few minutes every day. The Air Force leadership knows how busy we are, so they've made it easy for us to stay in touch with what they're doing, saying and thinking. Start with the Air Force homepage (www.af.mil) and you'll be going places before you know it. Better yet, have the information delivered to you personally. A number of Air Force online publications are available, many of which will be sent directly to your email inbox if you just subscribe. Take a look at the "subscriptions" page on the website. One of my favorite news sources is Aimpoints (aimpoints.hq.af.mil) self-described as "a daily summary of news, messages and communication tactics to help Air Force people tell the Air Force story." I started reading Aimpoints during a previous staff assignment, and still rely on its information to keep me in the loop. It was during that staff assignment that I realized how little I knew about some of our service's major issues. My staff colleagues were conversant on numerous topics, such as the tanker lease program, modernizing the Air and Space Expeditionary Force structure and the global strike concept of operations to name a few. Why did my staff peers know so much about this stuff? First, such topics concerned them on a daily basis because they were the people writing the studies and drafting the talking papers. Second, they regularly consulted online news sources. To join the knowledgeable ranks, I had only to log in and start reading. Up until that point in my career, I had been narrowly focused on my immediate job: my squadron, my group and my wing. I didn't have a lot of extra time to read about things I thought were far above my pay grade. However, just because a subject seems a matter for the top brass doesn't mean it won't have a direct impact on you later in your career. Case in point: before I knew I was coming to Vance, I read an intriguing article on possible upcoming changes to the Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals course. Not long afterward, Air Force leadership opted to relocate IFF to the pilot training bases, thereby affecting me and my squadron today as we adapt to the arrival of a new flying mission. I don't suggest we all try to become current events experts. Sometimes all you need to do is scan the headlines. In my current job, that is often the only thing I have time for, and some days I don't even get that far. Fortunately, Aimpoints continues to show up faithfully in my inbox, ready for me when I'm available. See if you can carve out a few minutes in your day to familiarize yourself with today's service issues. When you're done with today's Airscoop, put it down and log in to Aimpoints. Read about how the tanker lease program has turned into a tanker buy program. Read about how the Air Force finally got its own monument in Washington, DC. Read about something that might affect your life and career. You'll be glad that you did.