I've recieved many e-mails from veterans at Lincoln AFB searching for old buddies they worked with but also from their children asking about more information about what their parents did at the base.

Unfortunately I don't have access to personnel files nor have a database at this point of former airmen at the base. Even if I did I believe I'm not legally able to disclose those records (the Air Force itself can't do this either because of privacy issues). On the other hand I'd certainly like to aid those in search of connecting with old friends.

1. Contacting the VA/military

    This might seem like the obvious starting point but again, they can't really release personnel records.   Publically at least the military wouldn't keep track of discharged or retired veterans at Lincoln.

2. Veterans Groups

    There are a few associations out there connected with the base, notably the 307th Bomb Wing Association and the  98th Air Refueling Squadron. These folks though tend not to provide personnel searches even within their own unit, as in they don't have a record of everyone who served at Lincoln under their jurisdiction in the 50s and 60s. (although they may have the person you are looking for in their veterans group, so it might be worth a shot).

3. Connecting online via classmates or other websites.

    These folks tend to have the databases of veterans who have contacted their websites and want for people to find them. military.com's buddy finder and google's vetconnect seem to be on the up and up as far as legitamite websites but you have to input your own information as well (or join Google+ respectively). Remember to withhold private information you don't want the public to see (telephone numbers, addresses, etc) and just use common sense when working with these websites. Classmates.com meanwhile is very well known and, although I've never been connected to it, seems to have a large body of other folks looking to reconnect. Classmates however does charge a fee (possibly waived though if you're in it for veterans, I'm not sure)to be on their site and from what I hear is a little difficult to quit their service.

Another I've found was TogetherWeServed but I can't vouch for their legitamacy. There are a lot of veterans resource pages out there and like the internet in general you have to be careful what you click into.

4. Facebook
    When I started this site I purely worked off of veterans e-mails and information available on the internet...which of course led to a failure to connect to the majority of people (not everyone has email of course) but since 2000 there has been a massive rush of people connecting on what's call the "web 2.0" or also known as social media. Searching Facebook is a good way to look for folks because you often have the ability to search for "John Smith" and get a picture, rather than calling every John Smith in the phonebook. Facebook too provides free access to open groups (such as Lincoln AFB) and fan pages (such as LAFB History). Facebook is relatively safe (although you can easily get carried away in it) and we have a strong presence there. Lincolnafb.org tends to be the first hit on search engines (like google) so we get a lot of traffic from vets who sometimes chime in and join the groups/pages.

5. White Pages.com
    Granted its loaded with advertising, whitepages.com can provide searches of folks if you know where they might be living. Again if you're looking for a John Smith and don't know where he lives in the USA, you're pretty much out of luck there. You can get phone numbers and addresses but typically not e-mails which any more tends to be a subtle icebreaker rather than calling them up directly


6. Other Resources

About.com's "Free Military People Search Tips"

Ehow.com's "How to find an old military friend"

That said, best of luck in your searches!


                                                                                         HOME