Guest Post: 46 Questions for Public Affairs Operators

By Col. Myles B. Caggins III

Volume 1 (Mostly oriented toward homestation)

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun. 

Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NIV)

Our military does plenty of good for the world but never forget we are, ultimately, in the managed violence business—it’s serious.  Your role is to explain the who, what, how, why, and, sometimes, when & where we do what we do.  Your commanders need your best advice; your fellow troops need your best representation of them.

I offer this list of questions to help shape the mindset of public information operators and remind you of the basics.  Some of these questions were covered at the Defense Information School, others are lessons-learned along my career.  Behind each of the questions is a success or scar tissue or both; I commend you to refer to this list of questions throughout your career as a words warrior.  

Commanders and supervisors of public affairs staffs should also find value in this list during developmental counseling.  

1. Do I know how it fights?  Do I know how my unit is organized?    Can I explain this to the public on no-notice in plain-language with no extra preparation?
2. Do I see my job as simply to “inform” only or to “inform, inspire, and persuade?”
3. Do I have contact information for my commander and senior enlisted leader?
4. Have I visited the local newspaper editor and military beat reporters—at their office?
5. If I’m at homestation, have I coordinated with the appropriate ASCC/COCOM PAO, prior to scheduling a media event for a deployed unit?
6. Do I invite local media to training events or only ceremonies?
7. Have I ever read an article about how to “pitch” stories to reporters?  Examples here, here, and here.
8. Do I ever socialize with local journalists?
9. Have I ever considered earning PRSA’s Accreditation in Public Relations?
10. Do I have the passwords for the unit’s social media sites?  Does a backup person also have the passwords?
11. Do I remember to cc my XO/Chief of Staff when I email my commander?
12. When given a non-standard or difficult task is my mindset “Should I?” or “How can I?”
13. Do I know what assignments will prepare me to serve as a Division PAO?
14. Do I view grip-n-grin photos as a “chore” or an “opportunity”?
15. Do I have my own personal Social Media accounts?  Or do I beat my chest and boast about not using any of that interweb stuff?  Am I a Beatrice?
16. Is my HMMWV, non-tactical vehicle, or other assigned transportation ready to roll out the gate?
17. Have I scanned the Keith L. Ware Awards SOP in the past year?  Have I encouraged my staff to compete for KLWs?
18. Does my commander invite me to small group meetings with the XO, S2, S3?
19. Have I visited the installation VIOS office to meet the staff and learn their capabilities—not just for my DA photo?
20. Do I have a spare camera with charged batteries and SD card…just in case I need to snap a photo?
21. Do I have at least one senior public affairs civilian, colonel, or sergeant major I can call for professional advice/mentorship?
22. During evaluation counseling, when my senior rater asks about my “Next Three Jobs,” do I know what to recommend?
23. Do I have a copy of my commander and senior enlisted leaders’ bio and photo?  (Bonus:  Did I accept this bio as-is –or- recommend edits to make it more readable?)
24. When I send press releases, do I add photos and videos germane to the release?
25. Do I look for opportunities to localize big DOD/Army policy announcements?
26. When I know my unit has big events scheduled, do I proactively reach out to the garrison newspaper editor to request the front page?
27. Have I provided time–during the duty day–for enlisted troops to complete professional military education?
28. Am I a “fan” of Facebook pages run by unofficial groups affiliated with my installation?  (e.g….Real Army Wives of Camp Swampy)
29. Do my uniforms look presentable?  Clean, ironed, patches sewn on?  Kevlar too?
30. Do I ever talk to my BOSS representative, visit the motor pool, eat in the DFAC, or go other places to talk to random troops to find out “what’s hot in the streets?”
31. Do I know how to submit an Air Mission Request (AMR)?    Do I know the rules for Civilian Orientation Flights?
32. Have I ever contacted the local AUSA chapter, VFW, MOAA, and other VSO and MSO provided a unit update or invited them to unit events?  (With legal approval, of course)
33. On social media, am I scared to post articles and videos from civilian news sources because someone told me “it will look like an endorsement”?
34. Have I read retired Rear Adm. John Kirby’s “Killing English” article? (Additional link)
35. Regardless of my rank, am I on the invite list for my commander’s social events that include community/civilian guests?
36. Do I ensure a second-set-of-eyes looks at every press release and social media post from my unit?
37. When I accept/decline guest speaking requests, on behalf of my commander, am I gracious or curt?
38. Do I know the difference between on-the-record, on-background, deep background, and off-the-record attribution?
39. Does the reporter share my understanding of #38?
40. When AIM-2 lists open assignments, do I speak to my family, mentors, and the incumbent to gain insights prior to submitting my preferences?
41. Do I ever ask the installation PAO staff for advice, or do I already know all the answers?
42. Have I considered contacting a local university journalism program to get “media on the battlefield” role players?
43. Do I accept “no” from a person who doesn’t have the authority to say “yes”?  (See Funk’s Fundamental #8)
44. Do I understand the casualty release process?  
45. Have I ever visited local government public information officers?  School District?  Police?  Fire Department?  Bureau of Land Management?  Hospitals?  Congressional district offices?
46. Do I treat all reporters—regardless of news outlets—with the same respect and respond to emails within 24 hours?

Ok, ok, so it’s more than 46 Questions…a few more came to mind…

47. When a Soldier in my unit has a run-in with the law, do I have the CID/NCIS/OSI PAO’s on speed-dial?  Or do I blabber, in good faith, to the media about on-going investigations?
48. Have I met the local recruiting station commander?  Have I inquired about how we can mutually support each other’s community outreach mission?
49. Have I considered recognizing staff with the Order of Saint Gabriel or other special awards?
50. If I’m a brigade-level PAO, have I met every field grade officer in the brigade and built professional relationships with my subordinate units’ commanders and senior enlisted leaders?  Could they tell my brigade commander my name and what I look like?  H/T Major Jennifer Dyrcz
51. Have I thought about the audience needing the message before I write that message? H/T Major John Landry

What’d I forget?  Let me hear your additional questions.

Col. Myles B. Caggins III is a U.S. Army public affairs officer with experience from brigade combat teams through the White House.  Currently, he serves as Director of Public Affairs and Spokesman for III Corps and Combined Joint Task Force Operation-Inherent Resolve–the 82-member Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.  He believes public affairs practitioners should strive daily to Dominate the Information Environment with Weaponized Truth. His long-term goal is to instill a culture of offensive-minded communication across the Defense Department; but, he’ll be satisfied if troops no longer have to pay out-of-pocket for internet access and mobile phones to do their jobs.

When he’s not twitter jousting with ISIS, he enjoys trivia, eating Iraqi kebabs, and drinking chai with 1/3 sugar.  He tweets for work at @OIRspox and, less formally and less frequently, at @mylescaggins

(Photo by Spc. Carl A. Johnson, DVIDS)