Find PAOs — keep ‘em close. Recently Grant Neeley said to get in the game. Tearing down walls and building bridges through networking is a great way to get and stay in the game.
Three years ago I received a PM on Facebook, asking me to travel to Germany with a small team of hand-picked public affairs operators. I said yes. Two years ago I received a LinkedIn message asking me to fill a slot for an elite unit headed to Iraq. I said no because I was already deploying. Seven months ago, I saw an Instagram post from an acquaintance doing some cool things for the Army. I sent a PM asking about their job. Now, I’m in that unit. Notice this trend didn’t include AKO and still didn’t have any OPSEC violations?
Go where the PAOs live. I know there is a lot of fear regarding social media and inviting co-workers onto your personal pages. But team, we’re professionals, we don’t get personal pages anymore. (Or if you desire that privacy, create two accounts.) We all serve the Department of Defense with the honorable mission to protect our homeland. Use social media to your advantage and both you and the mission will be better for it.
I’m not a widely-known PAO. You won’t find me displayed all over DVIDS or winning Army journalism contests. But I am passionate about our work and career field and I make a point to stay connected with others like me. I want to learn, grow and help when and where I can. I know you do too or you wouldn’t be reading MaxDis.
Engage in conversations in those private Facebook groups. Be respectful but it’s ok to have an opinion and ask questions. Keep up with those you’ve served with and make new connections, hopefully beyond your individual service. What degree are they pursuing, what articles are they reading, which key leaders do they follow and what are their struggles at their post or deployment?
There’s a difference between remaining professional (aka silent) regarding Army affairs and maintaining a social media presence. You might be the voice through a PM that consoles a stressed-out PAO. Heck, you might even offer a suggestion that results in an easy fix for their issue. You might receive requests to be involved in special missions or offers to join a unit in need of your leadership and experience.
Regardless of the quantifiable results, create your village from our team of professionals.
