When I was a second lieutenant attending the Public Affairs Qualification Course almost a decade ago, I asked the Army’s Chief of Public Affairs what I needed to do in my career to become a two-star general leading our Public Affairs community, like him. His answer: “Sometimes God has a plan for you, and sometimes the Army has a plan for you, and sometimes those plans don’t align.” It was a hell of a non-answer, but I received the message loud and clear.
Years later, I was told the reason Army Public Affairs is led by a general officer with no Public Affairs background is because they bring three things to the table that PAOs cannot: Context, Contacts, and Credibility.
Defined this way:
- Context: Understanding of what it means to be a senior leader in the U.S. Army.
- Contacts: Relationships with other senior leaders in the U.S. Army, and …
- Credibility: … trust amongst those U.S. Army senior leaders.
(This post is in no way meant to bash our Chief of Public Affairs, whom I’ve never met and do not work with.)
Army Public Affairs Officer Corps: We have a problem if the Army’s general officers don’t believe you bring Context, Contacts and Credibility to the table. After all, our NCO and Civilian senior leaders at OCPA both came from our career fields, and use their experience and expertise to lead our colleagues.
It seems to me we want a General Officer who shares the same public affairs experience we do. We want a General Officer who knows our people as well as we do. In order to transform the Army Public Affairs Branch into what our nation needs of us, we want a General Officer who wields past and present longevity.
How can our officers get there? First and foremost, re-read the definitions listed above … do you notice a trend? I don’t claim to know the secret sauce to breaking into the General Office circle, but I’m guessing there’s some merit to bolstering your internal credentials. While you’re at it, consider the ways your experience helps you expand on those original definitions:
- Context: Understand what it means to be a senior leader in the U.S. Army. AND know the Army’s communication challenges, the history and evolution of our operational messages, and what has and hasn’t worked. Nobody knows the media environment better than you. Know the administrative, manning and equipping strengths and weaknesses within our career field, and have a track record of addressing them.
- Contacts: Have relationships with other senior U.S. Army leaders. AND know influential reporters and third-party communicators, where they can help and what makes them tick. Understand and work with reporters’ focus areas, credibility and biases. Networking is stupid, but being known as an aware, reliable, responsive and creative leader is smart. Strong relationships help you do your job and support America’s protection. Be likable and have unique and productive things to say. Don’t burn relationships and don’t inject drama.
- Credibility: Build trust amongst U.S. Army senior leaders. AND be your organization’s best officer … not just its best Public Affairs Officer. Make informed and accurate predictions about media trends, and have insight that leads to tangible changes in your organization’s media strategy. Think on a higher, strategic plane. Solve problems, put in the MDMP time, and understand and act on your organization’s mission. Don’t be a sideshow, don’t spend your life on social media, and don’t subordinate yourself to other staff members. If you lack the understanding and skill to at least be a Deputy G3 in your organization, you’re behind the curve.
Even if God’s plan and the Army’s plan for you ultimately don’t put a star on your chest, are you doing everything you can to display our officer corps’ Context, Contacts and Credibility?
(Photo by Capt. David Gasperson, DVIDS)
