The new flag will appear on next week's edition of the Turret, whose name is changing to The Gold Standard. The name was changed to reflect the broader spectrum of missions and functions at Fort Knox since the Armor community relocated to Fort Bennin...

The one constant in military life is change.

This military newspaper--the Turret--is also about to undergo some major changes in keeping with Fort Knox's transformation over the last five years.

In addition to some format changes that should help readability, the most notable change will be the name--The Gold Standard.

The post newspaper has been evolving since its formal inception as the Turret in 1948. At that time, there was no advertising, so the cost of the publication was born by Department of the Army funding. In addition, the pages were large, there was no color, and the paper's editions were initially quite small, just four to six pages. The print columns were narrow, very little space was allowed between articles and the pages appeared dark and cramped. All the editorial copy was generated by the two civilians who had no connection to the Army. The pages were generated through a hand-fed linotype machine and hand folded before distribution.

Over the years, the paper was converted to a civilian enterprise--which means the printer could sell the advertising, print and distribute the paper, and keep any profits left over. That approach is used by all Army community newspapers today.

While the original copy writers were civilians, the staff has gone through many evolutions. At one time, all the newspaper employees were Soldiers, then the staff was a blend of civilians and Soldiers, and now the staff is comprised of two Army civilians and two News-Enterprise contractors.

Some of the new features will include a pet of the month, a weather forecast, man on the street interviews as well as some formatting changes, enhanced graphics, and a new flag--which is the term for the paper's logo. See examples of the first flag compared to the newest one above.

Some things, however, remain constant.

The installation newspaper, in spite of its changes, will continue to be a command information tool with a goal of keeping its readership knowledgeable. In the truest sense of the word, it's a community publication that will feature items that are unique to the Army audience while also including the human interest features, news and accomplishments of the people who work and live in this environment.

The Gold Standard will continue to strive for the highest journalistic style and content through the combined efforts of its Army and News-Enterprise employees, who work together. Both staffs have contributed to the changes readers will notice next week.

Today's garrison commander column on page 5 includes more information about the redesigned and renamed post newspaper. In addition, next week's newspaper--the first as The Gold Standard--will detail all of the changes that are being made to improve the news value and reading experience for the Fort Knox and surrounding communities.