The Future of The Armed Services Manpower

Niceville High School’s JROTC program, led by Lt. Col. Charles Farmer, Jr., has rebounded to pre-pandemic enrollment levels as national trends show increased interest in military service among youth, though challenges in recruitment eligibility persist.

Family Finds Cluster Bomb: “I Couldn’t Get Out the Door Fast Enough”

In Niceville, Florida, a family discovered a live Vietnam-era cluster bomblet brought home in a toolbox of scrap metal. A Google search misidentified it as inert, but local authorities and Eglin Air Force Base’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team safely removed the dangerous device. The incident highlights the risks of unexploded ordnance near the Eglin test range and the limitations of relying on Google for safety judgments.

Hurlburt Commander Talks Pressing Issues for Base

Colonel Patrick Gary of the First Special Operations Wing addressed the County Board of Commissioners to discuss the challenges facing military personnel and their families, including housing, childcare, traffic, and mental health resources, while emphasizing the importance of community partnerships in supporting Hurlburt Field’s mission and readiness.

A Champion for Veterans In Niceville

Daquiri Champion, a retired dietician and Air Force wife from Niceville, Florida, has dedicated herself to honoring and supporting veterans. As regent of the Choctawhatchee Bay Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), she coordinates numerous events and services for veterans, including commemorations, charity work, and outreach to military families.

What It’s REALLY Like to Be a POW in a Vietnamese Prison Camp

VIDEO: Retired Air Force Pilot Howard Hill talks about his five years in a Vietnamese Prisoner of War Camp. He tells the harrowing story of his shoot down and capture by communist north Vietnamese militias, his grueling five-year imprisonment in a Hanoi camp for captured Americans, and his release back to his loving wife and family in the United States.

Mid Bay News

A drone view of the activity on Boggy Bayou before the annual fireworks festival put on every year by the cities of Niceville  and Valparaiso.