JOINT BASE CHARLESTON –
As the Air Force continues transforming its cyber operations, the Air Force Network Integration Center and 24th Air Force will change this environment and establish a centralized user directory and e-mail service for all Air Force network users. The goal of this Air Force network migration project is to collapse all existing stand-alone environments into a single structure within the AFNet under the operational control of a single commander.
Starting Nov. 1, Charleston will become the next AMC installation to migrate its users to the AFNet, and while this change is relatively transparent, the migration to centralized services will significantly improve network security, standardize the cyber environment and reduce operational costs by eliminating redundant systems and services.
The most visible change to Charleston network users will be in the format of e-mail addresses. The migration replaces the old first.last@charleston.af.mil e-mail address with a standard first.last@us.af.mil e-mail address, allowing central management of these accounts. These addresses are kept for the duration of a career, employment or affiliation with the Air Force regardless of the organization assigned. The AFNet migration project builds on the successes of the E-mail for Life program, and as additional bases migrate, it will provide Airmen log-on capability to any connected Air Force computer without having to re-register for computer access when deployed, on temporary duty or during a permanent change of station.
Simply stated, Airmen will have an account that is always active, and through the use of their Common Access Card, they will have 24 hour, 365 days-a-year access to e-mail and network services regardless of their duty location, eliminating the need to de-activate or create accounts.
When will I be migrated (transferred to the AFNet)?
· Units will be migrated in phases - Users will be notified of specific dates and times with a yellow eAdvisory at 72 hours and a red eAdvisory 24 hours prior to migration.
· Migrations will occur in two phases. Phase 1 will be the migration of your computer and phase 2 will be the actual transfer of your mailbox.
· Computer migrations will occur between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. You can continue working during this period, but we strongly recommend you periodically save your work while the migration is in progress. When the migration is complete, you'll see a pop-up notification followed by an automatic computer re-boot with about a 10 minute countdown. Your computer will reboot twice.
· Mailbox migrations can occur anytime after 5 p.m. on your scheduled day. In order to avoid any e-mail service interruptions please ensure you fully understand and accomplish important instructions in the yellow and red eAdvisories.
· Blackberry users will receive a targeted e-mail message with special instructions on how the devices will transfer to the AFNet.
How to prepare for your mailbox transfer.
· Ensure your mail is not being delivered directly to a personal folder.
· Reboot your computer in the morning during the transfer period.
· Wait a few minutes for the on screen popup to appear; this signifies your mailbox transfer is in progress.
· If the popup does not appear open Outlook; if you received the "Mailbox Switch Notification" email, logoff, logon, and wait for the above popup to appear, if not continue with business as usual.
· Once the above tool has completed running, Outlook can be opened and used as before. Welcome to the AFNet!
What else can I do to prepare?
· Practice good information management, read all AFNet related messages and eAdvisories sent out by the 628th Communications Squadron (628 CS/CFP).
· Ensure all desktop computers and laptops are powered on and plugged into the network as soon as possible. All machines need to stay on and plugged into the network throughout the migration. If a computer (desktop or laptop) is not connected to the network, it will not be migrated and will lose connectivity.
What if I'm TDY, on leave, or deployed?
· You will still be migrated, if and only if your mailbox is under its size limit. You can access your email using Outlook Web Access (OWA) at (https://charleston.mail.us.af.mil/owa). We recommend you contact the Communications Focal Point at DSN 673-2666 for more information.
While the Joint Base Charleston migration is projected to take around 47 days, your individual migration can occur anytime within that window. For planning purposes, future eAdvisories will outline your specific migration date.
As Joint Base Charleston quickly approaches its projected migration start date, a team of Air Force Network Integration Center and 628th Communications Squadron technicians are busy preparing equipment and resources to facilitate the migration of more than 7,000 users.
Be on the lookout for the yellow and red eAdvisories for more detailed information. For any questions concerning the migration, contact the Communications Focal Point at 963-2666, or by e-mail at
628cs.cfp@us.af.mil.