REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. — Effective Nov. 1, PS Magazine will undergo its most significant transformation ever. Its 64-page, cartoon-illustrated magazine will cease production, replaced with a fully online, mobile-friendly information portal. The URL for this resource is www.psmagazine.army.mil .
In order for PS to keep pace with today’s readers, its web portal will provide the same valuable information as the traditional magazine but at a much quicker rate. All articles will continue to be vetted by technical experts for accuracy and still have to be approved for public release prior to them being posted.
But, instead of taking up to five months to get maintenance and supply information published, it will take a matter of days to a few weeks. Also, the portal’s robust search functionality will enable readers to target and access the information they need, right when they need it.
The mobile friendly web portal will take the place of the current smartphone app, which could be cumbersome to navigate and read depending on the device. The app, available in the Apple and Google stores, will be discontinued at the end of 2019.
While the cartoons were fun and helped to make PS Magazine iconic, they took time to create, render, and revise, and they were never as important as the information they helped to convey. While the cartooning will largely disappear, the magazine’s signature characters such as Master Sgt. Half-Mast, Bonnie, Connie, Blade and Cloe will continue their “service” as guides to maintenance and supply information on the new web portal.
Despite this significant change, the core mission of the magazine remains the same: to deliver timely and accurate maintenance and supply information to Soldiers and maintenance personnel (both military and civilian) that enables them to enhance their readiness and the readiness of their units and fleets. Integral to this mission is responding to Soldier and reader inquiries.
The PS Magazine staff will continue to respond to these inquiries, which number over 1,000 annually.
PS Magazine will also keep its designation as a technical bulletin (TB-43-PS-Series). Each quarter, it will compile all articles published online within that quarter and submit the compilation to the Army Publication Directorate for authentication.
During the next six to 12 months, PS Magazine will primarily focus on providing timely and accurate readiness information to its readers. Longer-term, the magazine will explore ways to bring additional relevant content to its audience. This content will include training videos, links to other related websites, and profiles of Soldiers and units exemplifying a culture of readiness.
By Robert Hill & Carol Jones, ASC RSA-Detachment
