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FM 46-1 - Public Affairs Operations - Travel Incorporated 46-1 Public Affairs... · conducting stability and support operations, such as humanitarian, domestic and peace operations

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1

FM 46-1

Field ManualFM 46-1

HeadquartersDepartment of the Army

Washington, DC, 30 May 1997

Public Affairs OperationsContents

PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Chapter 1 PUBLIC AFFAIRS ENVIRONMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Information Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Information Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Commanders and Public Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Chapter 2 PUBLIC AFFAIRS PRINCIPLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Principles of War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Public Affairs Principles. . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Chapter 3 PUBLIC AFFAIRS CORE PROCESSES . . . . . . . . . . 20

Public Affairs Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Information Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Media Facilitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Public Affairs Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Community Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Chapter 4 PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND ARMY OPERATIONS . . . . . 29

Levels of War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Tenets of Army Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Elements of Combat Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Force Projection Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Multinational Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Joint Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Sustaining Base Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

* This publication supersedes FM 46-1, 23 July 1992.

*

pittengk
DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

2

Chapter 5 STABILITY AND SUPPORT OPERATIONS . . . . . . . . . 40

Support to Diplomacy ........... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Noncombatant Evacuations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Domestic Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Chapter 6 PERSONNEL AND ORGANIZATIONS .. . . . . . . . . ......45

Personnel ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Organizations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Chapter 7 EMPLOYMENT AND SUPPORT OF PA FORCES . . . . . 56

Employment of PA units...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Required Support ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

APPENDIX A DoD PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION ...........62

APPENDIX B COVERAGE OF DoD OPERATIONS ...............................63

APPENDIX C PUBLIC AFFAIRS ANNEX ...............................................64

APPENDIX D PUBLIC AFFAIRS ESTIMATE ..........................................66

APPENDIX E MEDIA GROUND RULES .................................................69

GLOSSARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

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FM 46-1

The PA Mission

Public Affairs fulfills the Army’s obligation to keep the American people and theArmy informed, and helps to establish the conditions that lead to confidence inAmerica’s Army and its readiness to conduct operations in peacetime, conflict andwar.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

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FM 46-1

Preface

Our vision is to build a trained, readilydeployable force of Public Affairs professionals,resourced, capable and organized to conductoperations in peace, conflict and war, and tomaintain a timely flow of accurate, balancedinformation to the American people.

Field Manual 46-1 is the keystone doctrinal manualfor U.S. Army Public Affairs operations. It focuses

on how the Army thinks about public affairs and de-scribes public affairs roles, missions, capabilities andorganizations for the active Army, U.S. Army Reserveand Army National Guard. It also describes public af-fairs employment, command and control, and supportacross the operational continuum.

This manual is the basis for Public Affairs forcedesign and materiel acquisition. It supports the doctri-nal requirements of the Concept Based RequirementsSystem and is the authoritative foundation for the in-

!

tegration ofPublic Affairsinto Army doc-trine, individualand unit train-ing, leader de-v e l o p m e n t ,force designand materiel ac-quisition initia-tives. FM 46-1is directlylinked to, and must be used in conjunction with FM100-5, FM 100-6, TRADOC PAM 525-5 and JointPublication 1-07.

FM 46-1 is the doctrinal guide for commanders,planners, and users of Army Public Affairs. It is also aguide for those who must consider the effects publicaffairs has on military operations. It describes the fun-damental principles and concepts for providing infor-mation to a wide range of internal and external audi-ences– soldiers, family members, retirees, politicalleaders, the general public, allies and adversaries.

Public affairs personnel must use their professional

knowledge, skills and judgment in adapting the prin-ciples in this manual to their specific situations. PublicAffairs commanders and trainers should use this manualand Army Training and Evaluation Programs (ARTEP)to plan and conduct their training.

Numerous terms, acronyms, and abbreviations arefound in the manual. Users should refer to the glossaryfor their meanings or definitions.

This manual aligns public affairs operations withthe command and control Battlefield Operating Sys-tem (BOS) and is intended for Army-wide dissemina-tion. This edition of FM 46-1 supersedes the 1992 ver-

sion of the manual.The proponent for this manual is the Office of the

Chief of Public Affairs. Send comments and recom-mendations on DA Form 2028 to Director, Public Af-fairs Proponent Activity, ATTN.: SAPA-PA-CFST,Fort Meade, MD 20755-5650.

Use of specific gender in this publication is forease of reading. Whenever the masculine or femininegender is used, either gender is intended. The term“PAO” refers to public affairs officers, NCOs and ci-vilian and military specialists.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

6

"Every senior leader must personallyset the example by taking a proactiverather than reactive approach todealing with the media."

General Dennis J. Reimer U.S. Army Chief of Staff

Introduction

The mission of the United States Army is to protectand defend the Constitution of the United States

of America by deterring war, and when deterrence fails,by achieving quick, decisive victory – on and off thebattlefield – anywhere in the world and under virtu-ally any conditions. Army Public Affairs is an inte-gral part of all military missions across the operationalcontinuum. Everything that the Army does to accom-plish its mission – both good and bad – occurs withintoday’s Global Information Environment. Army Pub-lic Affairs assists the commander in understanding andoperating in this new environment. Whether in peace,conflict, or war, military operations are more effec-

The end of the Cold War, changing internationalalliances and dynamics, and ambiguous regional threatshave led America’s Army to expand its war fightingdoctrine. FM 100-5, Operations, describes a strategicforce-projection Army prepared to fulfill its obliga-tions across a continuum of military operations. It pre-scribes an Army able to alert, mobilize and deploy rap-idly from CONUS and overseas theaters to conductjoint, multinational or interagency operations anywherein the world. It presents concepts for warfighting andconducting stability and support operations, such ashumanitarian, domestic and peace operations.

FM 100-5 also addresses the impact that emerg-

tive when they include public affairs support from thevery beginning. They support the commander’s effortto meet the information needs and expectations of in-ternal and external audiences without detriment to suc-cessful mission accomplishment.

ing technologiesand the evolvingmedia environ-ment are havingon operations. Itacknowledges theimportance ofcommunicatinginformation to in-ternal and externalaudiences and alsorecognizes that fu-ture operationswill attract widemedia attention. It

reflects an understanding that coverage will influencethe public and political leaders, and can affect the stra-tegic direction, range and duration of operations. Itimplies that information communication technologieshave an impact on the conduct of operations equal tothat of emerging weapons technologies.

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FM 46-1

!

The requirement for the Army to conduct PublicAffairs derives from Title 10, U.S. Code which statesthat the Secretary of the Army is responsible for pub-lic affairs and will establish the Office of Public Af-fairs. Implicit in a government of the people, by thepeople and for the people are the concepts that thepeople have a right to know about the activities ofthe government, and the government has an obliga-tion to inform the people about its activities. Theseprinciples also apply to information about the activi-ties of the military, which is established in the Con-stitution of the United States to “provide for the com-mon defense and general welfare of the UnitedStates.” One of the most significant conduits throughwhich information is passed to the people is the freepress guaranteed by the Constitution. Since thenation’s founding, the Army has communicated in-formation to the American people through the me-dia.

Army Public Affairs is a fundamental tool of com-petent leadership, a critical element of effective battlecommand, and an essential part of successful mis-sion accomplishment. When employed to maximumeffect, Army Public Affairs helps the commanderachieve information dominance and conduct coordi-nated information operations, and also contributes tothe preservation of public support. Active and reservecomponent soldiers, whether deployed or not, theirfamily members and other internal audiences are af-fected by the information, or lack of information,available to them. Effective leaders employ a coordi-nated public affairs strategy to help reduce distrac-tions and to win the information war. Army PublicAffairs contributes to ethical behavior, respect for thelaw of war and the rights of noncombatants. ArmyPublic Affairs fights rumors, misinformation, bore-dom, enemy disinformation efforts, uncertainty, fear,loneliness, confusion and other factors that causestress and undermine efficient operations. ArmyPAOs develop a synchronized public affairs programas a part of their commanders’ effort to build unitcohesion and enhance soldier confidence. Army Pub-lic Affairs helps increase understanding, dedication,discipline and the will to win.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

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FM 46-1

Chapter 1

Public AffairsEnvironment

America’s Army will conduct joint, multinationalor interagency operations, and does not operate alone.Units work in coordination with elements from theother services, as well as military forces from othernations, representatives from governmental organiza-tions other than DoD, and representatives from pri-vate, non-governmental organizations. They contrib-ute a full range of unique combat, combat support andcombat service support functions.

To give soldiers an edge, America’s Army exploitsmajor technological opportunities. It pursues advance-ments which afford a significant increase in lethality,offers major improvements for force protection, ex-ploits key vulnerabilities of potential adversaries andoffers a capability that presents an adversary with mul-tiple threats simultaneously. Microprocessing, minia-turization, automation, electronics, communicationsand space technologies are continually changing theway and pace at which operations are conducted.

America’s Army, in addition to being prepared forwar, will increasingly be called upon to conduct sta-bility and support operations. Although the Army’sprime focus is war fighting, it is often involved in awide range of noncombat operations. The use of deci-sive force to win against an armed enemy and the ex-ecution of combat operations in the environment ofwar is the principal role for which the Army prepares.During peacetime, however, the Army helps keep theday-to-day tensions between nations below the thresh-old of conflict. When peacetime efforts are thwartedand adversaries seek to provoke a crisis or initiate hos-tilities, conflict occurs. In such an environment, the

We live in a turbulent world of broad social andpolitical changes. The end of the Cold War,

changing international alliances and dynamics, and am-biguous regional threats have resulted in new chal-lenges and altered priorities for the nation and the mili-tary. Army Public Affairs must be prepared to operatein a dramatically restructured military and in a rapidlychanging media environment.

America�s ArmyAmerica’s Army has undergone a significant trans-

formation in recent years. It has become a strategicforce-projection Army prepared to fulfill its obliga-tions across a continuum of military operations. It iscontinuously evolving to maintain its capability in achanging environment.

America’s Army is a smaller, more efficient force,and places a heavy reliance on the U.S. Army Reserveand Army National Guard. The Army has reduced itsforce structure and realigned programs and responsi-bilities to achieve operating efficiencies. It has devel-oped new force design concepts such as modularityand split-based operations.

As a force-projection organization, it is able to alert,mobilize, and deploy rapidly anywhere in the world fromCONUS and forward presence theaters. Force projec-tion is a key element of power projection. It is a centralelement of our national security and military strategyand presupposes the ability to apply all or some of theelements of national power to act in a crisis, contributeto deterrence, and enhance regional stability.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

10

Army may be required to conduct operations to deterenemy actions or compel compliance and resolve con-flict.

The InformationEnvironment

Public affairs operations are conducted in infor-mation domains termed the Global Information Envi-ronment and the Military Information Environment.The GIE is defined in FM 100-6, Information Opera-tions, as including “all individuals, organizations orsystems, most of which are outside the control of themilitary or National Command Authorities, that col-lect, process and disseminate information to nationaland international audiences.” The MIE is the “envi-ronment contained within the GIE, consisting of in-formation systems and organizations, friendly and ad-versary, military and non-military, that support, en-able or significantly influence a specific military op-eration.”

The impact of new communications technologieson the conduct of operations is equal to that of emerg-ing weapons technologies. Continuously evolving col-lection and dissemination capabilities have radicallyaltered the dynamics of the news and information con-sumer market.

Telecommunicationsequipment has rapidly be-come more sophisticatedand more widely avail-able. Continuously ex-panding capabilities in in-creasingly smaller, moremobile packages enablesever greater numbers ofindependent media representatives to be presentthroughout an area of operations from the start of, ifnot before an operation.

Ever smaller, more portable, more affordable andpowerful radios, televisions, telephones, computers, faxmachines and other communication devices also fa-cilitate the consumer’s access to information. Audi-ences throughout the world — including our deployedforces and actual or potential adversaries — are ableto receive a wider range of information from a vastlyexpanded spectrum of sources.

�In an age of instant communications, ca-pabilities available to the media have hadincreasingly important impacts on militaryoperations.�

-- FM 100-5 Operations

The emerging electronic information communica-tion technologies, the proliferation of commercial sat-ellite technology and the expansion of internationalsatellite alliances have resulted in the spread of world-wide communications. Coverage can be instantaneouswith audiences throughout the world — the Americanpublic, allies and adversaries — receiving and react-ing to the coverage even as the National CommandAuthority is deciding on appropriate responses, or asdeployments are taking place.

Because the public is able to receive greater quan-tities of information through proliferating outlets, thedemand for information has increased dramatically.The need to fill more channels of communication leadsto wider, more frequent coverage and media competi-tion to find and tell unique stories. It results in moreanalysis, critique and editorial commentary aboutevents occurring in an area of operations, the impactof those events, and people’s reactions to those events.Military operations have become spectator eventswatched in real time by the American public, alliesand adversaries — indeed by the whole world.

Information OperationsEffective operations in both the GIE and MIE re-

quire coordinated information operations. Addressed

at length in FM 100-6, they are in their simplest form“the activities that gain information and knowledgeand improve friendly execution of operations while de-nying an adversary similar capabilities by whateverpossible means. Effects of information operations pro-duce significant military advantage for forces conduct-ing such operations.”

Synchronized information operations are con-ducted with an aim of achieving information domi-nance, described as “the degree of information superi-ority that allows the possessor to use information sys-

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FM 46-1

Information Operations Unity of Effort

CIVILAFFAIRSsupports by:

•Developing informationproducts to protectsoldiers against theeffects of disinformationor misinformation.

•Coordinating withPSYOP planners toensure consistent mes-sages and maintenanceof OPSEC

•Influencing/informingpopulace of CA activitiesand support

•Neutralizingdisinformation and hostilepropaganda directedagainst civil authorities

•Controlling EMS forlegitimate communica-tions purposes.

•Conducting counter-propaganda and protect-ing from misinformationand rumor

•Developing EEFI topreclude inadvertentpublic disclosure

•Sychnronizing PSYOPand OPSEC with PAstrategy

C2W CIVIL AFFAIRS PUBLIC AFFAIRS

•Providing informationon CMOC activities tosupport PA strategy

•Synchronizinginformation, communi-cations media andmessages.

•Identifying andintegrating media andpublic informationfrom host nationsources

•Providing accurate,timely and balancedinformation to thepublic.

•Coordinating with CAto verify facts andvalidity of information

•Providing information tosupport informationinfrastructure picture

•Synchronizingcommunications mediaand messages withPSYOP

•Coordinating C2 targetsets with target cell

•Establishing and main-taining liaison anddialogue with localcivilians, NGOs andPVOs

PUBLICAFFAIRSsupports by:

COMMANDAND

CONTROLWARFARE (C2W)supports by:

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

12

�Commanders need to understandthat the perception of America�s Army

and how it conducts itsoperations can be as important to the

Army�s success as actual combat.�

tems and capabilities to achieve an operational advan-tage in a conflict, or to control the situation in opera-tions short of war, while denying those capabilities tothe adversary.”

Public affairs operations are one element of a largerinformation strategy encompassing command and con-trol warfare (C2W), Civil Affairs and Public Affairs.Command and control warfare is both offensive anddefensive. The goal of “C2-attack” is to control or de-stroy the adversary C2 capability. The goal of “C2-protect” is to maintain friendly C2 capability by coun-tering adversary efforts to influence, degrade or de-stroy it. C2-protect includes measures to counter ad-versary propaganda and its effects on operations, op-tions, public opinion, and the morale of friendly sol-diers. Public affairs operations support C2-protect by

facilitating open reporting and access to units and bymaintaining robust internal information programs.

Effective information operations require carefulsynchronization of many staff elements. FM 100-6Information Operations describes the formation of IObattle staffs and addresses IO in depth.

Formal, dedicated information operations councilshave proven very effective in recent stability and sup-port operations. An information operations coordina-tion committee met weekly during Operation UpholdDemocracy in Haiti to share information and coordi-nate the activities of the committee members. TheIOCC was comprised of representatives from J-3, J-5,Psychological Operations, Joint Information Bureau,Civil Affairs and the U.S. Information Agency.

In Bosnia, Task Force Eagle formed an informa-tion operations council which developed a formal pro-cedure for conducting information operations. Thecouncil was chaired by the operation PAO and staffedby representatives of G-2, G-3, Joint Military Com-

mission, Civil Affairs, PSYOP, the task force PAO,and the Joint Information Bureau. The council metregularly to identify issues that could have either posi-tive or negative impacts on operations and then devel-oped appropriate information strategies.

The Task Force Eagle information operations pro-cess consisted of eight steps —

•identifying the issue,•determining if the issue was a problem or an

opportunity,•defining audiences,•defining target result•evaluating resources and choosing methods and

actions,•coordinating actions and synchronizing messages,•implementing actions, and

•evaluating the success

An illustration of the processis the IOC response to a specificevent it identified as potentiallyhaving a negative impact on theIFOR mission:

“A Bosnian radio station re-ported that Russian soldiers

were going into villages in areas of transfer and tellingMoslems that they must leave before the Serbs movedin. The council met and developed a course of actionthat included media opportunities in the Russian Bri-gade showing the solidarity of IFOR, Civil Affairs per-sonnel talking to locals about the fact that the Rus-sians did not want them to leave, and providing a tapeto local radio stations telling people that the Russianswanted them to stay in their homes.” (TF Eagle Les-sons Learned)

The IOC also produced “Weekly Messages forCommanders” that included public affairs guidance andtalking points for commanders and other members ofthe task force who interacted with the media. The mes-sages were e-mailed to the G-5 in each brigade head-quarters and further disseminated as desired by thebrigade commander. One brigade commander directedthat the messages be issued as fragmentary orders downto companies.

Participation in information operations integratespublic affairs into operations planning at all levels and

13

FM 46-1

across the full spectrum of operations. The PA repre-sentative to the IO battle staff —

•represents PA concerns in IO•identifies, assesses, and advises the commander

on information and issues with PA implications•reviews strategic and operational information

with PA implications such as events, missions and pro-paganda

•coordinates with CA and PSYOP representativesto ensure consistency of messages and OPSEC with-out compromising PA credibility

•facilitates the availability of battlefield informa-tion for PA purposes (such as releasable visual imag-ery) used to inform the public of Army capabilities andaccomplishments

Effective information operations require the earlycoordination and synchronization of PA, CA andPSYOP. Each may use the same communications me-dia to communicate essentially the same messages todifferent audiences. While CA and PSYOP addresslocal populations and adversary forces, PA operationsare directed toward U.S. forces and U.S. and interna-tional media. The target audiences may differ, but theconsistency of messages is important to credibility.

With the expanding role of public affairs and in-formation operations, it remains important to preservethe separation of PA and PSYOP in order to maintainthe credibility of public affairs spokespersons and prod-ucts. Although coordination of PA and PSYOP occursin the IO cell, the public affairs representative to thecell should not be the primary command or operationspokesperson.

Information Operations planning and operationsare beneficial in peacetime, conflict and war. The com-position of the IO cell will depend upon the circum-stances. In peacetime, the cell may include the G-5,PAO, Staff Judge Advocate, and chaplain. During sta-bility and support operations or war, the IO cell mayinclude intelligence, signal, fire support, PA, CA, EW,OPSEC, PSYOP and logistics.

Postconflict operations also benefit from coordi-nated IO. PSYOP and CA may be needed to enhancesupport of local populations. Information about theArmy and civil-military operations may be dissemi-nated through the media. Public affairs operations can-not focus on directing or manipulating public opinion,

but may contribute to public understanding of U.S. in-tentions and activities by providing timely informa-tion about the operations.

Public affairs may also contribute to informationstrategies developed to counter misinformation andpropaganda communicated in the GIE.

In stability and support operations, the IO plan-ners may work with and receive information from avariety of foreign and domestic government agencies,non-governmental organizations, state and local agen-cies and private volunteer organizations. The U.S. maynot have the lead in these operations and therefore mustwork closely with the lead agency to ensure U.S. in-formation operations are consistent with theoverarching operational theme and objectives.

Commanders andPublic Affairs

The changes occurring in America’s Army, theevolving information environment and the emerginginformation communications technologies have madeit much more difficult to control, limit or restrict in-formation. The greater availability of detailed, graphic,real-time information from anywhere in the worldimpacts the linkage between national strategic goals,theater strategic and operational objectives, and op-erational and tactical execution.

The fact that information is more available hasbridged the gap between what occurs on the groundand the goals and objectives of the national militarystrategy. Real-time or near real-time reports of the ac-tions of a soldier manning a roadblock, the results of aminor skirmish, or the effects of a major combat ac-tion become the subject of public discussion and de-bate.

At all levels, Army leaders must be public affairsaware. As the Army and the information environmentevolve, public affairs operations become an increas-ingly critical element in the determination and achieve-ment of the strategic end state. The perception ofAmerica’s Army and how it conducts its operationscan be as important to the Army’s success as actualcombat. Leaders must recognize the potency of publicopinion and its potential impact on the morale, confi-dence and effectiveness of soldiers.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

14

Commanders must focus on providing complete,accurate, timely information, rather than on guardinginformation. It is critically important to achieve a bal-anced, fair and credible presentation of information tothe American public. Commanders must know the in-formation needs and expectations of their soldiers andtheir family members, the home station communityand other internal audiences.

Commanders who understand the media are notintimidated by the media, its role and its potential im-pact. Commanders must plan for media. They mustconfidently facilitate the media effort to provide cov-erage, and they must support open and independentreporting and access to units as early and as far for-ward as is feasible. They must integrate public affairsinto their decision-making process, and consider pub-lic affairs in their assessment of the situation and theirdevelopment of courses of actions, plans and orders.They must ensure that public affairs operations are syn-chronized with other combat functions.!

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FM 46-1

The Public Affairs mission fulfills the Army’s obli-

Chapter 2

Public AffairsPrinciples

Information Environment. Commanders require theirPAOs to include public affairs operations in their plan-ning guidance. The results are specific tasks that as-sist the commander in —

•exercising command and control over publicaffairs assets in the theater of operations

•assessing the public affairs situation•preparing public affairs plans and orders•establishing media operation centers•supporting command and control warfare•coordinating and integrating combined, joint,

and/or interagency public affairs support•facilitating media involvement in collecting and

distributing information•producing and distributing command and public

information products to the internal and externalaudiences

•participating in Information Operations

Public Affairs and thePrinciples of War

The principles of war — objective, offensive, mass,economy of force, maneuver, unity of command, se-curity, surprise, and simplicity are the basis for theArmy’s warfighting doctrine. The Public Affairs Of-ficer provides input to the warfighting planning pro-cess, and supports political, economic, and informa-tional goals, as well as military objectives. The PAOassesses the impact of military operations in both theglobal (GIE) and military (MIE) information environ-ments. PA operations will have the same impact on

gation to keep the American people and the Armyinformed, and helps to establish the conditions thatlead to confidence in America’s Army and its readi-ness to conduct operations in peacetime, conflict andwar.

The active Army, U.S. Army Reserve and ArmyNational Guard have an obligation to keep the Ameri-can people, its internal audiences and other key pub-lics informed about its achievements and successes,as well as its problems and failures. Providing infor-mation openly and honestly—with minimum delay—shows courage, candor, competence and commitment,and contributes to confidence, trust, respect and es-teem in the force. The PAO communicates the Army’sprofessional character, beliefs, values and ethics. ArmyPublic Affairs promotes a greater understanding of theArmy and its contribution to the nation.

When America’s Army is understood, America’sArmy is strengthened. Army morale and esprit are en-hanced, which further enhances understanding, confi-dence, trust, respect and esteem.

Public Affairs supportto military operations

Public Affairs supports military and U.S. policyobjectives throughout the operational continuum.PAOs provide combat commanders with a battlefieldedge in winning the war conducted in today’s Global

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

16

Objective: Direct every military operation toward aclearly defined, decisive and attainable objective.

Offensive: Seize, retain and exploit the initiative.

Mass: Mass the effects of overwhelming combatpower at the decisive place and time.

Economy of Force: Employ all combat poweravailable in the most effective way possible; allo-cate minimum essential combat power to second-ary efforts.

Maneuver: Place the enemy in a position of disad-vantage through the flexible application of combatpower.

Unity of Command: For every objective, seek unityof command and unity of effort.

Security: Never permit the enemy to acquireunexpected advantage.

Surprise: Strike the enemy at a time or place or ina manner for which he is unprepared.

Simplicity: Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans andconcise orders to ensure thorough understanding.

The Principles of War - FM 100-5

these basic military principles as any other element inthe operational force.

ObjectiveOnce the strategic, operational, and tactical mili-

tary objectives are specified, the PAO supports thecommander through the analytical framework of mis-sion, enemy, troops, terrain, and time available(METT-T) to designate operational objectives. Objec-tives include conducting public affairs training, plan-ning, developing information strategies, conductingmedia center operations, facilitating media access tothe force, acquiring and analyzing information, andtargeting products to specific audi-ences.

OffensiveTo be an asset to the field com-

mander, the PAO must seize the ini-tiative and actively assess and re-spond to potential public affairs situ-ations, incidents, and force move-ments in support of the commander’sobjective.

Public Affairs operations arecombat multipliers by:

• keeping soldiers informed• maintaining public support for

the soldier in the field• mitigating the impact of mis-

information and propaganda

MassThe principle of mass requires

the quick assembly of public affairsforces and resources at a particularplace and time. PA forces must bedeployed early, in sufficient num-bers, and utilized in accordance withthe established battlefield laydownif they are to conduct professionalPA operations appropriately tailoredto their assigned missions. The com-manders most likely to succeed willhave accurately assessed the level ofnews media interest in their opera-tion, and will have provided the as-sets necessary to accomplish thepublic affairs mission.

Economy of forceThe judicious employment and distribution of

forces requires that no part of the force should be leftwithout public affairs training and support. The PAOmust ensure that young leaders and soldiers in forward-deployed units are trained and capable of successfullytelling the Army’s story when speaking to reporters.Public affairs detachments must be positioned far for-ward to support PA operations at the lowest level pos-sible. Their modular design affords commanders theflexibility of maneuvering PA personnel with the mainbody while continuing to conduct public affairs op-erations.

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FM 46-1

Unity of commandUnity of command requires that all public affairs

forces are under a single commander with the requi-site authority to direct all PA forces in pursuit of aunified purpose. Whether that commander is a divi-sion, corps, theater, joint, or unified public affairs com-mander, PA units must have a clear chain of commandthat minimizes the number of higher headquarters inthat chain. The chain must be flexible enough to syn-chronize PA functional activities throughout the the-ater of operations.

Unity of effortUnity of effort, essential to unity of command, re-

quires the coordination and cooperation among allforces, especially those public affairs operations at thejoint or unified level where more than one service isinvolved in the public affairs operation. It is essentialif we are to effectively tell the Army’s story.

SecurityPublic affairs operations support security by de-

veloping a plan for the inclusion of news media, es-tablishing and enforcing media ground rules and de-veloping procedures for explaining the sensitivity andcomplexity of military operations to the media. To pre-vent the release of classified or protected informationinto the public domain, individuals must practice se-curity at the source and adhere to OPSEC requirements.

SurpriseSpeed, effective intelligence, deception, applica-

tion of unexpected combat power, OPSEC and varia-tions in tactics and methods of operations are elementsof surprise. The elements of the principle of securitycarry over to the principle of surprise. Public affairsforces must ensure that the element of surprise is notcompromised by the inadvertent release of critical op-erational information.

SimplicityPublic affairs relationships are simplified by us-

ing a single-staff focal point. The PAO, working withthe G3/S3, can relieve the unit’s staff and commandof many related functions. PA plans and annexes mustbe simple and direct, and must be supportable by theavailable resources. Early coordination and comple-tion of operational annexes will ensure effective andsuccessful operations.

The Global Information Environment (GIE) has

real time. They can dramatically influence public opin-ion and may force the National Command Authorityto react more rapidly than it would prefer. They maylead to changes in strategic level goals and guidance,result in significant modifications to operational mis-sions, policies and procedures, and cause unexpectedtactical restraints and constraints. They have a directimpact on soldier morale, discipline and performance.

Public Affairs PrinciplesConducting operations in the GIE requires an un-

derstanding of basic public affairs principles. Armyleaders at all levels need to understand the fundamen-tal concepts which underlie the development of pub-lic affairs strategies and guide the planning and ex-ecution of public affairs operations. They should alsobe familiar with the DoD Principles of Information(Appendix A) and the Guidelines for Coverage of DoDCombat Operations (Appendix B) which provideoverarching guidelines for public affairs operations.

Soldiers and families come firstInternal audiences include soldiers, civilian em-

ployees, retirees and all affiliated family membersthroughout the Army’s active and reserve components.These audiences must be thoroughly and appropriatelyinformed to ensure maximum effectiveness and thehighest sustainable morale. These audiences often be-come public spokespersons and effectively managedinternal information programs contribute to their abil-ity to do that well. Although operational needs may attimes divert immediate attention to external audiences,the information needs of soldiers, families, civilianemployees, retirees and employers of reservists mustbe considered first.

Truth is paramountTrust and confidence in America’s Army and its

conduct of operations result when external and inter-nal audiences understand the Army and the reasonsfor its actions, decisions and policies. It involves teach-ing them about the Army’s culture. It depends on edu-cating them about our units and soldiers, ethics, val-

cal levels of operations. Information and images froma theater of operations are available to audiences inthe United States and throughout the world in near

bridged the gap between the strategic and tacti-

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

18

ues, policies and procedures. Because every active andreserve component soldier, civilian and family mem-ber is perceived as a credible spokesperson, telling theArmy story is a total Army responsibility. Once lost,credibility cannot be easily regained. The quickest wayto destroy credibility is to misrepresent the truth. Com-municating different messages to different audiencesis also a sure way to destroy credibility of the source.When credibility is undermined, communication be-comes ineffective and it is impossible to achieve in-formation objectives.

If news is out it�s outThe GIE makes more information easier to dis-

seminate and more accessible to wide audiences. Asthe value of information continues to increase, the abil-ity to limit or restrict its flow continues to decrease.Leaders must recognize this, consider the impact thatinformation availability will have on mission, and pre-pare to address issues openly, honestly and in a timelymanner. Once information is available, attempting todeny it or failing to acknowledge it will destroy theArmy’s credibility.

Not all news is good newsIn the GIE, the presentation of information about

the Army and its operations will be both positive andnegative. Information about failures will be just asavailable as information about successes. Army poli-cies, decision and actions will be criticized and praised.PAOs cannot control media coverage or guarantee posi-tive media products. DoD policy is that informationwill not be classified or otherwise withheld to protectthe government from criticism or embarrassment. In-formation can only be withheld when its disclosurewould adversely affect national and operations secu-rity or threaten the safety or privacy of members ofthe military community.

It is DoD and Army policy to take an active ap-proach to providing information. The Army will prac-tice the principle of “maximum disclosure with mini-mum delay,” even though this will sometimes resultin the publication of stories which are not favorable tothe command.

Army spokespersons must avoid speculation andconfirm the accuracy of their information. Successesand strengths as well as failures and weaknesses mustbe addressed if internal and external audience confi-

dence in the Army is to be maintained. Issues must beaddressed quickly, honestly and accurately. Explana-tions may be given in terms of corrective actions andpreventive measures. Withholding or appearing towithhold negative information creates the perceptionof cover-ups, leads to speculation, and destroys thecredibility of the Army and the operation. Denyinginformation about, or refusing to comment on, poli-cies, operations, activities, positions or procedureswhich are clearly in the public domain underminesconfidence in the Army.

Telling our story is good for the ArmyIn stability and support operations in particular,

but also in war, providing accurate and timely infor-mation about the force and its operation will contrib-ute to mission accomplishment. Providing informa-tion about the force, intent and actions communicatesrestraint, indicates perseverance, and can serve as adeterrent. It can clarify the nature of the mandate andthe Army’s efforts to operate within that mandate.

The active release of complete and accurate in-formation influences the perception of events, clari-fies public understanding and frames the public de-bate. It preempts attempts to misrepresent situations.When intentional misinformation or disinformationefforts are being made by adversaries, providing openaccess and independent media coverage is the mosteffective defense. It is a key tool for countering theimpact of enemy information operations.

Public affairs must be deployed earlyDuring deployments an Army commander’s first

contact will often be with a news reporter. Reportersand journalists will be present in the area of opera-tions before Army forces arrive, and will often be wellestablished, with a fully functional logistical frame-work and long-standing coordination and liaison ar-rangements. Having covered the buildup of the situa-tion that lead to the military deployment, the mediawill know and understand the area of operations. Forthem, the injection of Army forces will be their majorstory. Since national and international media will bewatching from the moment the forces arrive, publicaffairs personnel need to be deployed in the first hoursof an operation to support the commander and the forcein their interactions with media. The PAO can signifi-cantly reduce the distractions to the mission createdby the media, allowing the commander to focus on his

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mission and his soldiers’ welfare.

Media interest will be intense at the outset of op-erations. Public interest and media attention will behigh during the initial deployment of forces. The me-dia will closely cover the deployment of Americanforces, their arrival in the theater and their initial op-erations. Once operations have been initiated and sta-bility has been achieved, media attention will dimin-ish until a significant event occurs or there is a no-table change in the situation. Media interest will re-surface as the force completes its mission and beginsto redeploy.

Media are not the enemyWhile military professionals and journalists both

serve the American people, their philosophies, valuesand basic outlook don’t always correspond. These dif-ferences can easily lead to misunderstandings. Yet thevast majority of journalists and the organizations theyrepresent are committed to the ideals of providing re-sponsible, accurate, balanced coverage. Good report-ers will thoroughly investigate issues, and ask toughchallenging questions. They seek information, inter-pretation and perspective. Yet many reporters todayhave not served in the military and their inexperienceand uncertainty may create obstacles in communica-tion between themselves and soldiers. They may failto properly prepare for their assignments. Soldiers mayneed to educate them on military operations and helpthem understand the significance of the events onwhich they report.

Reporters covering operations should not only beprovided access to units and soldiers, but wheneverfeasible, should be included in the operation as a partof a unit. Incorporating journalists into units providesthem with a unique perspective. It gives them thechance to know soldiers, understand the operation andexperience America’s Army. It results in the best cov-erage.

Practice security at the sourceThe characteristics of the military and global in-

formation environments essentially render field cen-sorship impractical in its traditional sense, as well asimpossible. All individuals must be responsible forsensitive information. Whether being interviewed bya reporter, or sharing news with a spouse or a friend,communicators must be aware of operational security,

safety and proprietary issues. Anytime they provideinformation, that information may be made public. Thestandard must be to practice security at the source bynot sharing information which policy has determinedto be inappropriate for release.!

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

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The public affairs functional areas have historicallybeen public information, command information

and community relations. As broad references, theterms are still useful. To adequately describe the“value-added” provided by public affairs to the com-mander, a more precise method is required. Addition-ally, the traditional terms do not adequately addressthe challenge of providing public affairs support in theglobal information environment. The realities of rap-idly evolving technology, radical changes in the busi-ness structure affecting the commercial media and tele-communications companies, and the pervasive net-working of a global community demand a new approachto articulating what public affairs professionals do.

This chapter focuses on core processes, within theframework of the three broad public affairs functionalareas, allowing Army Public Affairs to meet the chal-lenges of supporting Army XXI in the Information Age.

The public affairs core processes are —•conduct public affairs planning•execute information strategies•facilitate media operations•conduct public affairs training, and•maintain community relations

While the traditional functional area designationssuch as Command Information and Public Informa-tion may be used to describe public affairs product cat-egories or organizational focus, the public affairs coreprocess definitions describe the esssential componentsof Army public affairs operations.

Chapter 3

Public AffairsCore Processes

Public Affairs planningFrom receipt of a mission through mission analy-

sis, course of action development, analysis, recommen-dation, decision and implementation, public affairsplanners continuously assess the situation, developsolutions and monitor effects of public affairs opera-tions. Public affairs planning is an integral element ofthe decision-making process at every level and acrossthe continuum of operations. Done in concert with op-erational planning, it enhances the commander’s rangeof options.

Public affairs planning reduces the constraintswhich inhibit a commander’s range of possibilities andincreases his freedom to decide and act without dis-traction. This planning is conducted in concert withall information operations planners, and when appro-priate, with the Information Operations Battle Staff.

Public affairs planning begins with the receipt ofa mission. PAOs prepare the Public Affairs Estimate,and advise the commander and other staff personnelon global information environment issues (such as ex-pected media interest) which might impact on the mis-sion. They provide input during the development ofpossible courses of action and the war gaming of thosepotential courses of action. They identify critical pub-lic affairs risk factors, consider branches and sequels,judge the impact on internal audiences and externalcommunity relations, develop a public affairs strategy,prepare the Public Affairs Annex to the Operation Plan/Operation Order and publish Public Affairs Guidance.

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Once operations have been initiated, public affairsplanners continuously monitor operations and the GIE.They evaluate the situation, measure the effectivenessof the effort and make adjustments to the PA opera-tion as necessary. They react to operational events witha public affairs impact, and public affairs events withan operational impact. They participate in future op-erations planning.

Public Affairs AssessmentThe Public Affairs Assessment addresses all as-

pects of the information environment, whether or notthey are under the control of the commander. Primaryemphasis is placed on identifying, measuring andevaluating the implications of the external informa-tion environment that the Army does not control, butcan influence through a coherent, comprehensive strat-egy and early integration in the planning and decision-making process. The blurring of the line between ex-ternal and internal information adds to the value ofassessing the internal environment as well.

The assessment identifiesand evaluates the public affairsenvironment, the global infor-mation environment and themilitary information environ-ment of a country, geographicarea or the area of operation.It includes an examination ofthe physical and social infra-structure from a public affairsviewpoint. The assessment iscontinually updated and isused as a reference documentwhich briefly describes characteristics of the regionwhich are pertinent to public affairs operations. Muchof the information used to develop this assessment isobtained from other contributors to Information Op-erations. For example, the Civil Affairs representativeto the Information Operations Battle Staff may haveinformation about commercial media and communi-cations capabilities and availability in the area of op-erations. The assessment is a compilation of informa-tion on the GIE and MIE, and requires the PA special-ist to review and coordinate the development of theassessment with information being collected by theCivil Affairs, Psychological Operations, and MilitaryIntelligence sections. This ensures coordination in thedevelopment of campaigns, themes and messages dur-ing the operation.

The Public Affairs Assessment serves as the foun-dation from which the Public Affairs Estimate is writ-ten and focuses on:

�Media presence. A commander needs to knowthe number of media representatives in the theater be-fore the deployment of his force, and what level ofmedia presence he should anticipate once deploymentbegins. The commander must also have an analysis ofthe type of media (print or broadcast), the visibility ofthe media (local, national, international, American orforeign) and the style of the media (news, informationor entertainment) covering the operation. The assess-ment of the media presence should address the author-ity under which media representatives are operating inthe theater and their degree of access to the theater ofoperations.

�Media capabilities. A commander needs ananalysis of the technological capabilities of media rep-resentatives present in the theater. He needs to know,

for example, if they have live video transmission ca-pability or interactive satellite telecommunicationsaccess. An analysis of the sophistication of the media’slogistics support provides information about the trans-portation assets or resupply channels available to me-dia representatives, and can be an important planningconsideration.

�Information needs. A commander needs toknow who he must provide information to and whatinformation he will need to provide. Public affairs plan-ners will conduct an audience analysis to determinethe information needs of soldiers, family members,hometown audiences, and the American public. A thor-ough audience analysis will evaluate how informationmade available to the media will be perceived by non-

Dramatic visual presentations canrapidly influence public and politicalopinion, so that the politicalunderpinnings of war and operationsother than war suddenly change with noprior indication to the commander in thefield. -FM 100-5 Operations

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

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U.S. publics, including allied as well as adversary pub-lics, what they will be interested in, and what theymight do with that information.

�Media content analysis. A commanderneeds to know what is being said and by whom. Amedia content analysis will provide an evaluation ofthe quantity and the nature of that coverage, and re-veal intended as well as unintended messages. This isessential to understanding how stated intentions andconditions contrast with real intentions and conditions,and helps identify media trends or agendas. This willhelp the commander understand how the situation isbeing framed and what messages are being communi-cated to the public. How the situation is framed — thecontext in which it is being presented — will influ-ence how the American public defines success and thedesired end-state of an operation. Understanding howthe situation is framed is essential to designing effec-tive strategies for communicating the Army perspec-tive within the public discourse, and for achieving abalanced, fair and credible flow of information.

�Public opinion. A commander needs to knowhow the American people and their civilian leaders per-ceive the situation and the use of military power. Heneeds to understand the perceptions held by interna-tional audiences, both those traditionally allied withthe U.S. and those traditionally considered to be ad-versaries. Assessment of public opinion must not onlyevaluate the perceptions held, but also the relative so-lidity or strength of those attitudes.

�Information infrastructure. A commanderneeds to know what sources are accessible for trans-mitting and receiving information. Among other things,an analysis must be conducted of the availability oftelephone lines for voice and data transmission, theaccessibility of audio and video channels, the preva-lence of private communications devices such as tele-phones, facsimiles, computers with modems, radiosand televisions, and the nature of the information avail-able through these information channels.

Public Affairs EstimateThe Public Affairs Estimate (see Appendix D) is

an assessment of a specific mission from a public af-fairs perspective. It includes analysis of the news me-dia and public environments to evaluate the degree ofunderstanding about strategic and operational objec-tives and military activities and to identify levels of

public support. The Public Affairs Estimate evaluatesthe existing global information environment, emerg-ing trends, current events, and internal and externalinformation communication issues. It contains ananalysis and comparison of alternative courses of ac-tion, recommendations about public affairs force struc-ture and how to employ available PA assets.

Public Affairs PlansBased on the information developed in the Public

Affairs Estimate, planners develop a strategy to sup-port the operation. The public affairs strategy linksthe national strategic goals and operational objectives.It defines the Army perspective of an operation, anddescribes how an operation supports strategic goals. Itprovides the intent for public affairs operations andthe Army’s approach to meeting the information needsof critical internal and external audiences. In final formit becomes the Public Affairs Annex to the operationsplan and serves as the framework for developing Pub-lic Affairs Guidance for the operation.

Public affairs plans are integrated into the opera-tion plan/operation order through the PA Annex. Theannex provides the details for media facilitation, newsand information, and force training operations. It iscoordinated with all staff agencies, especially thosethat significantly impact the information environment— i.e., Psychological Operations, Civil Affairs, Sig-nal, Military Intelligence — to ensure that public af-fairs activities are synchronized with other activities.

Public Affairs GuidancePublic Affairs Guidance (PAG) provides mission-

specific guidance to support public discussion of theoperation. Public Affairs Guidance establishes thecommand’s public affairs policies, identifies issueslikely to be of interest, delineates the Army perspec-tive, recommends appropriate themes, and addressesthe methods, timing and authority for releasing infor-mation to news media representatives.

Information StrategiesThe public affairs community and the Army stand

at the threshold of the Information Age. The prolif-eration of personal computers, the World Wide Web,the Internet, on-line services, fax machines, e-mail,cable television, direct broadcast satellites, copyingmachines, cellular communication, wireless commu-nication and many other information technologies have

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created an endless stream of data and information thatflows into a world filled with images, symbols, words,and sounds. Much of this information is a strategicasset, capable of altering high-level decisions by theNational Command Authority, and senior military lead-ers.

To effectively deal with this barrage of informa-tion, public affairs professionals must be skilled at in-forming their publics, both internal (Command Infor-mation) and external (Public Information). Informa-tion strategies are synchronized plans for using allavailable and appropriate methods of communicationto achieve specific goals of informing target audiences.The process includes: acquisition, production, distri-bution and protection.

AcquisitionInformation acquisition is initiated by PAOs de-

veloping story ideas that support the PA guidance andthemes for the operation. They monitor events in theGIE/MIE, and seek out creditable sources for infor-mation.

�Information Sources. Public affairs special-ists acquire information using a variety of sources. Be-cause of the volume of information and the vast num-ber of potential distribution mediums, the public af-fairs team, detachment or office develops and uses asystematic acquisition strategy. They acquire informa-tion from—

•participants•leaders•developed sources•the media•research and development•intelligence•culture at large•subject matter experts

�Acquisition equipment. Public affairs spe-cialists must be equipped with the latest “off-the-shelf”digital technology, capable of collecting images to beprocessed and distributed internally or marketed overcommercial radio and television broadcast mediums,across the Internet and the World Wide Web, and tonewspapers and magazines.

ProductionFor information to be of value it must be devel-

oped into a story, release, or product. Producing a pub-lic affairs product requires state-of-the-art digital in-formation technology. The nature, distribution, capac-ity, usability and flexibility of public affairs systems,including their links with satellite and communicationsnetworks are crucial in the rapid processing and distri-bution of information. While most production is tech-nical in nature–writing a release, shooting a picture,developing a story, editing a story, conducting aninterview–the PAO must also review the context ofthe information for its impact on internal and externalcommunity relations.

DistributionInformation must reach an audience. Distribution

systems or platforms must keep up with changes inthe technology used to deliver information. The pub-lic affairs community should be able to deliver infor-mation to all audiences via all mediums. Connectivitywithin the public affairs networks and the external me-diums used in the dissemination of information is cru-cial. Wars can be won or lost on the world’s televisionscreens as well as on the battlefield.

PAOs employ many information strategies to pro-vide news and information to internal and externalaudiences. Using organic military assets and contractedservices, PAOs provide print, video, audio and elec-tronic information products to deployed soldiers, newsmedia representatives, family members, and otherhome station audiences such as members of the localcommunity. They fill news and information needs andexpectations by maintaining an expedited flow of com-plete, accurate and timely information.

This information helps them understand and in-terpret the activities and events they are covering. It isa critical element in communicating the Army perspec-tive and contributes to achieving a timely, accurate,balanced presentation of information about America’sArmy, the force and the mission. It builds confidencein the force and the operation, maintains morale, re-duces distractions, and minimizes factors which de-tract from effective, efficient operations.

Providing news and information to internal andexternal audiences is synergistic. “Public information”provided to the commercial news media is availableto soldiers, families, and Army civilians. “Commandinformation” provided to soldiers, families and Armycivilians quickly becomes available to reporters and

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

24

can appear in public media. To maintain credibility,news and information provided to internal and exter-nal audiences must be timely, accurate and consistent.If the information provided to internal audiences dif-fers from that provided to other audiences, the discrep-ancy will affect the perception of, and confidence inAmerica’s Army.

The information products provided to internal andexternal audiences are varied. They provide news andinformation about America’s Army, the force, unitactivities, the operation, exercise, and Annual Train-ing for reservists. For deployed soldiers, they also in-clude products which provide news and informationabout home station, the local community, and nationaland international events. Public media products—print,broadcast and electronic—must also be made avail-able to soldiers.

ProtectThe process of informing requires a clear-cut un-

derstanding of how information must be protected. In-formation as a resource is inexhaustible. Both sidescan benefit from information and use information si-multaneously against each other. Pieces of the rightinformation can have a dramatic impact on the out-come of an operation. PAOs will continue to protectvital information by practicing “security at the source”and following established operational security mea-sures. In addition to protecting “raw” and completedinformation products, PAOs must also take the neces-sary steps to protect information networks.

Media FacilitationThe commercial news media are major players in

the global information environment. Fewer than 150reporters covered the 1944 D-Day invasion of Europe.More than 800 covered Operation Just Cause in 1990,and more than 1500 journalists from around the worldcovered the Persian Gulf War in 1991. There is no ques-tion that the news media will cover future militaryoperations, and in most cases will be on the groundbefore American forces arrive. Images of events as theyhappen, in real-time, from both sides of the conflictwill be transmitted to the world. It is the commander’stask, through the public affairs officer and staff, todevelop a well resourced and responsive infrastruc-ture to facilitate media operations. Failure to do so willnot affect the scale of news media coverage; it will,however, limit the command’s ability to communicateeffectively and risk distorting the public’s perception

of the military’s effectiveness.

Media facilitiation includes—•assisting media entry into the area•registering media representatives•orienting them on ground rules for coverage•ensuring they understand security policies•arranging interviews and briefings•coordinating unit visits and escorts•providing thorough and timely responses to

media queries •embedding media in operational units

Establish a media center earlySetting up a media center early establishes a focal

point for media representatives seeking to cover anoperation and also provides a central location for Armypersonnel seeking assistance with reporters in theirarea. It is a place for resolving problems or incidentsresulting from media/military interaction.

Understand and prepare for the mediaTo prepare for encounters with the media, com-

manders must accept and understand the role of thenews organizations and the journalists in the theater,and their capabilities in getting information from thebattlefield or area of operations. Commanders mustprovide media access to the force, keeping in mind theimpact their technology will have on operational se-curity. They must identify and provide support and re-sources to assist the media in their mission. Command-ers have a responsibility to ensure that their public af-fairs operations are positioned and resourced to ad-equately facilitate the media’s needs. Successful com-manders will have accurately assessed the level of newsmedia interest in their operation and anticipated andprovided the assets necessary to accomplish the mediafacilitation mission. Commanders and staff must assessthe intensity of news media interest and anticipate thepersonnel, communications, transportation, and deploy-ment requirements necessary to communicate throughthe news media during all stages of the operation. Theobjective of media facilitation is to support reportersin their efforts to cover the force and the operation,while minimizing the possibility that media activities willdisrupt the operation, endanger mission accomplishmentor compromise soldier safety or privacy.

Embedding the media

PAOs should seek out those members of the me-dia who are willing to spend extended periods of time

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with soldiers during an operation, embedding them intothe unit they cover. Embedding is the act of assigninga reporter to a unit as a member of the unit. The re-porter eats, sleeps, and moves with the unit. The re-porter is authorized open access to all sections of theunit and is not escorted by public affairs personnel.Rather, the unit is the reporter’s escort. Reporters filetheir stories from unit lo-cations and security is ac-complished at the source,by establishing with thereporter what can be cov-ered and reported on andwhat cannot be reportedon, or when material canbe reported.

Ground rules and security

Commanders must understand that sustained con-tacts between military forces and the news media re-sult in the most complete and accurate stories abouttheir units. They should seek to convince reporters thatthe acceptance of reasonable military ground rules (seeAppendix E, Media Ground Rules Example) and theintegration of journalists into operational units are inthe best interest of both institutions. However, somereporters will choose not to cooperate and in thosecases, commanders have no responsibilities for suchindividuals and should focus their attention on the re-porters who desire to abide by the procedures outlinedfor the operation.

While members of the media may say that theirsecurity is of no concern to the military and DoD policycalls for working with journalists without regard fortheir safety, the capture of journalists by U.S. adver-saries in Panama during Operation Just Cause and inIraq during Desert Storm have proven that while noone can guarantee the security of all reporters, thosewho accept the protection afforded them by militaryunits are in the best position to cover the story andsurvive.

Interviews, escorts and briefingsPublic affairs and operational personnel should be

available to furnish explanations to provide context tothe transmitted images and reports. Without commandassistance, there is a chance that misperceptions andmisunderstandings will result.

The expectation that all journalists will be accom-panied by trained public affairs professionals is unre-alistic. There will always be more media than PA per-sonnel. Often PAOs are not the most qualified person-nel to act as escorts because they lack the specializedexpertise to explain detailed activities of different unitsinvolved in an operation. The PAO’s duties will be to

make arrangements for the press to visit a unit, to as-sist in transporting them to the unit and then to rely ona designated subject matter expert (such as an execu-tive officer, first sergeant, platoon leader) to assist themedia while they are in the unit.

Transportation arrangements need not place spe-cial requirements on the commander. Reporters canmove forward with supply columns or with any trans-port which inevitably shuttles within the organization.

Commanders at every level should be interestedin what is being said about their efforts. Those at thetactical level will often learn from the reporters inte-grated with their units or from news summaries sev-eral days old. They don’t have to like or agree withwhat is being reported, but they do have to understandwhat is being reported. The public obtains its informa-tion about the operation from the news media, and thosereports help to shape public perceptions and opinionabout the command’s effectiveness. With an effectivemedia facilitation program, the command is aware ofdifferences between what it knows to be true and whatthe news media are reporting. Relying on technology,their assessments, and their media facilitation plans,commanders and their PA staffs have to continuously workto ensure that the inevitable gap is as narrow as possible.

Public Affairs Training The underlying principle of Army training is to

train in peacetime in a way that replicates expected

Reporters will be on the groundbefore soldiers arrive.Commanders must developwell-resourced and responsivemeans to help them in their mission.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

26

wartime conditions. Public affairs training includes—•training for public affairs soldiers•media interaction training for non-public affairs

soldiers, civilian employees and family members

The goal of public affairs training is to preparesoldiers to interact with and operate under the scrutinyof the press. It teaches soldiers that journalists are notadversaries, and focus on providing accurate, balancedcoverage. It helps soldiers understand that the mediais a communication channel to the American public aswell as to audiences worldwide.

Although public affairs training familiarizes soldierswith their rights regarding interaction with the press, italso prepares them to facilitate journalists efforts togather and report information. It trains them on how toreact when they encountermedia in their area of op-erations. It prepares them togive interviews, providebriefings and escort jour-nalists. It ensures they areready to perform their du-ties while accompanied byreporters without allowingthe media presence to influ-ence or interfere with theexecution of their duties.

For commanders, staffs and other Army leaders,public affairs training builds on individual training. Itfocuses on integrating public affairs considerations intothe planning and decision-making process. It preparesthem to recognize that soldier morale, combat effec-tiveness, tactical execution and mission accomplish-ment can be affected by media coverage of the opera-tion. It enables them to recognize, understand and planfor the strategic, operational and tactical impact of amedia-intensive, global information environment. Ittrains them to identify and develop public affairs planswhich are fully synchronized with and mutually sup-portive of all other aspects of the operation.

Training for public affairs personnel expands onsoldier and leader training. It stresses individual as wellas collective tasks with an aim of developing units fullyprepared to accomplish the range of public affairs mis-sions. It integrates public affairs into the battle staff.It ensures public affairs is involved in mission assess-

ment, planning and execution. It trains PA planners toassess the operations environment from a public af-fairs perspective, produce a Public Affairs Estimate,develop the Public Affairs Annex and Public AffairsGuidance.

Training for public affairs units and personnel en-ables them to validate standard operating proceduresfor media operations centers and media facilitation,develop and execute information strategies, create anddistribute information products, and fully participatein information operations. Public affairs sections andunits should be routinely incorporated into the entirespectrum of training events.

Public affairs training can also be conducted forjournalists. They should be educated on the rights and

responsibilities ofmilitary communitymembers, as well asthe roles and mis-sions of particularunits and the Army.

�Every commander, everysoldier, every unit in a ForceProjection Army must befully trained and ready todeploy.� -FM100-5, Operations

T h e

Community RelationsThe active Army relies on communities and re-

gions surrounding its installations for direct and indi-rect support of both the Army and its people. The U.S.Army Reserve and Army National Guard are equallyintegral parts of their hometown communities. Reservecenters and armories are major civic structures, andthe reserve component soldiers live and work in thecommunity. Maintaining effective community rela-tions not only contributes to the morale of soldiers andtheir families, but also enhances the projection and sus-tainment capabilities of Army posts and hometownsupport, directly affecting the combat power potentialof mobilized or deployed Army forces. Communitiescan provide the Army access to resources needed totrain and maintain readiness and also can extend sup-port to the families of deployed soldiers. Public Af-fairs helps commanders build and sustain the commu-nity relationships that in turn generate support for

overarching goal ofthis public affairs

training is to help the military and media interact withmutual respect and understanding.

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America’s Army. The Army’s ability to meet its man-power needs is heavily dependent upon the acceptanceand support of the American public. Effective com-munity relations programs help project an image ofthe Army as a good place for America’s youth, thusenhancing the Army’s ability to attract and retain thequality soldiers needed to remain an effective and vi-tal force. Army community relations policy is pre-scribed in AR 360-61, Community Relations.

In the sustaining base, management of commu-nity relations programs is primarily a function of pub-lic affairs. In overseas operational areas, communityrelations is a shared task with the G5. At both CONUSand overseas locations, public affairs personnel helpcivic leaders and local populations understand the ac-tivities of nearby installations and units. Communityrelations audiences include the public, government of-ficials at all levels, business leaders, and church, ser-vice, civic and school organizations.

Overseas, host nationcivilians are often em-ployed as media andcommunity relations spe-cialists. They advisePAOs and commandersof host nation sensitivi-ties, local political issuesand press reaction toAmerican activities.

The objectives of Army community relations pro-grams, as outlined in AR 360-61, are to—

•increase public awareness of the Army’s mission,policies and programs

•inspire patriotism•foster good relations with the various publics with

which the Army comes into contact at home and abroad•maintain the Army’s reputation as a respected

professional organization responsible for national se-curity

•support the Army’s recruiting and personnel pro-curement mission

An active approach to CR requires thorough plan-ning to develop specific objectives and courses of ac-tion and to identify potential obstacles. Communityrelations are also impacted by what is reported in themedia, and thus are affected by the media facilitationand information strategy processes. Media facilitation

Effective community relationsprograms enhance theprojection and sustainmentcapabilities of the Army andsupports soldiers� families.

is in turn related to the public affairs process of train-ing by which the military community is trained in ef-fective media relations practices. Community relationsare also affected by a variety of command and com-munity initiated events and activities.

The importance of community relations cannot beunderestimated. The relationship between the Armyand the public is a fundamental objective of the publicaffairs mission of contributing to “the conditions thatlead to confidence in America’s Army and its readi-ness to conduct operations in peacetime and war.” Thisrelationship is not created and maintained only duringoperations, but is an ongoing one requiring regular at-tention. While it can be affected by specific events,both planned and not, it is also shaped by perceptionsof what one community thinks of the other. Thus, anArmy organization that is thought to be uncaring aboutits surrounding community, will naturally be unlikely toexperience a positive relationship with that community.

The public’s relation-ship with a local re-serve unit or an activeduty installation neces-sitates that the potentialimplications of everyinstallation activity, op-eration or major train-ing activity be consid-

ered at all times. This is especially important duringcrisis management and mobilization, deployment andredeployment operations, even when the installationor reserve unit is not directly involved. It is also im-portant when national debate is occurring about a po-litically sensitive or controversial issue related to theDepartment of the Army or Department of Defense.During such times, the information requirements ofboth internal and external audiences increase dramati-cally. Installation and reserve unit commanders andtheir staffs, advised and supported by their public af-fairs elements, need to develop effective public affairsprograms which stress the open, honest, accurate, com-plete and timely release of information and is basedon:

Identifying, understanding and fulfillinginformation needs

Meeting the information needs of external audi-ences through information strategies and products con-tributes to a sense of community identity, culture, co-

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

28

operation and mutual interdependence. It eases con-cerns and distractions so that the installation, armoryor reserve center can concentrate on performing its mis-sion of improving readiness and providing communitysupport. It reduces uncertainty, rumor and misinfor-mation which can cause stress and conflict. It resultsin interaction and cooperative problem identification,definition and resolution. An active, coordinated pub-lic affairs program contributes to local communitymembers understanding and supporting the installa-tion goals and objectives.

Practicing maximum disclosurewith minimum delay

Because the Army is an agency of the U.S. gov-ernment, its internal audiences, local community mem-bers, and members of the American public as a whole,have a right to know about its operations. More im-portantly, the Army has an obligation to keep theseaudiences informed. Installation, armory and reservecenter commanders should make information readilyavailable. Open and independent reporting will be thenorm and journalists should be granted access to allunits, activities and operations, within the bounds ofoperational security. Information must not be withheldsolely to protect the installation or the Army from criti-cism or embarrassment. Being open and forthcomingabout negative events as well as the positive greatlyenhances the credibility of the installation or center.

Command initiated actions that can contribute topositive community relations include a range of ac-tivities such as participating in or providing openhouses, exhibits, static displays, bands, color guardsand speakers. Additional activities include participa-tion and membership in civic, business and professionalorganizations. Restrictions on military participationand support of specific activities are addressed in de-tail in AR 360-61.!

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FM 46-1

Chapter 4

Public Affairs andArmy Operations

Military force is used in combination with otherelements of national power to preserve, protect,

and advance the vital interests of the nation. Gainingpublic support for national policy and the appropriate-ness of the decision to use America’s Army to accom-plish a national goal is the responsibility of the nation’spolitical leaders. This chapter focuses on the synergybetween Public Affairs and the fundamentals of Armyoperations. It examines the role of Public Affairs atdifferent levels of operations and discusses how theTenets of Army Operations apply to Public Affairs.

Public Affairsand the levels of war

At all levels of war, public affairs operations arecritical to the ability of the Army to accomplish themission. This is especially true because the global in-formation environment has compressed the strategic,operational and tactical levels. By bridging the gapbetween the soldier on the ground and the Americanpublic, elements of the global information environmentmay influence the direction, range, duration and con-duct of operations. Live coverage of tactical eventsinfluence soldier morale, unit cohesion, public opin-ion, affect strategic goals, impact operational objec-tives and have a bearing on tactical execution.

Public Affairs at the strategic levelAt the strategic level, Public Affairs helps to es-

tablish the foundation and framework for conductingArmy operations in support of national security objec-

tives. Strategic public affairs operations inform inter-nal and external audiences about Army organization,training, and capability. They help demonstrate theArmy’s readiness to react promptly, decisively andappropriately, and are planned to clarify the linkagebetween national strategic goals and the Army mis-sion. They are conducted to communicate Army goalsin support of the mission, identify the desired end stateand describe the conditions that constitute success. Ef-fective strategic public affairs operations engender con-fidence in the force, establish credibility for the op-eration, and enhance the Army’s ability to achievedecisive victory (Figure 3-1).

Public Affairs at the operational levelAt the operational level, public affairs operations

explain the Army’s concept for employing forces andapplying resources to accomplish the mission. Theyclarify the link between strategic goals and operationalobjectives. Operational public affairs supports the com-mander by providing an assessment of the informa-tion environment in which his force will conduct op-erations. It identifies public affairs issues for his con-sideration, assists him in evaluating the implicationsof current and future campaigns, operations and plans,and ensures that Public Affairs Guidance is integratedinto the planning process. At the operational level,public affairs supports the commander’s requirementto meet the internal information needs and expecta-tions of the force and also plays a critical role in facili-tating media efforts to cover the operation (Figure 3-1).

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

30

Levels ofWar

Echelon ofCommand

Tactical

Strategic

TheaterArmy

EmbeddedPAO

Operational

NCAJCS

Unified/SpecifiedCommands

PA Section PA Units

OASD (PA)

CinC's PAO

CorpsJoint Task Force

COSCOM

MPADMobile Public

AffairsDetachment

PADPublic AffairsDetachment

Figure 3-1 PA Support Relationships

PA Support to Levels of War

Public Affairs at the Tactical LevelPublic affairs at the tactical level is executed to

achieve a balanced flow of accurate and timely infor-mation which communicates the Army perspective butdoes not violate operational security. Tactical publicaffairs supports the battlefield mission. It assists com-manders in establishing a program which fulfills theinternal information needs and expectations of theforce. The interface between soldiers on the groundand media in the area of operations is also vitally im-portant. While the commander will position his publicaffairs assets where he needs them in accordance withthe situation and based on his METT-T analysis, toensure success in the military information environment,public affairs personnel should be positioned as closeto the battlefield as logistically and logically possible.Ideally, organic corps and division public affairs staffscan best serve the commander and the soldiers whencollocated with the commander. When augmented bythe public affairs detachment, PA personnel can be

effectively used in a split-based operation between for-ward command post and rear command post (Figure3-1).

Public Affairs and theTenets of Army Operations

The Tenets of Army Operations are fundamentaldoctrinal guides for planning and executing Army op-erations. They describe characteristics essential to suc-cessful operations and victory. Understanding howthey apply to public affairs operations is critical tosuccessful strategic development and planning.

InitiativePublic affairs operations should employ an active

approach. PAOs must take the lead in contributing toaccurate, credible, and balanced coverage by practic-ing maximum disclosure with minimum delay. Publicaffairs operations should be planned and executed to

BODBroadcastOperationsDetachment

PAOCPublic Affairs Operations Center

TA PAO

Corps/JTFPAO

DivisionBrigade

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FM 46-1

influence the presentation of information about theforce by providing truthful, complete, and timely in-formation that communicates the Army perspective.Although there will be occasions when public affairswill be forced to react, planners must avoid a passiveapproach. Doing so cedes the initiative, results in aframework that is shaped without consideration of theArmy perspective, and is counterproductive to Armyefforts to maintain credibility and enhance confidencein the force and the operation. Public affairs officersmust seize and maintain the initiative.

AgilityPublic affairs must react rapidly to the global in-

formation environment, and planners must be ready torespond without hesitation. They must be able toquickly provide truthful, complete and timely infor-mation. To achieve accuracy, credibility and balance,they must anticipate the implications of events and actto communicate the Army perspective, contributing toaccurate and balanced coverage of the force and op-eration.

DepthPublic affairs must be able to extend operations in

time and space, with limited resources and a purpose.Depth requires planners to understand the capabilitiesand dynamics of the military information environment(MIE) and to continuously monitor and evaluate thepresentation of information. They must assess the wayinformation is perceived and anticipate the reaction ofcritical internal and external audiences to that infor-mation. They must use available resources to presentinformation throughout the global information envi-ronment.

SynchronizationPublic affairs must be integrated with other battle-

field functions to achieve the desired effect of an ac-curate, balanced, credible presentation of informationthat leads to confidence in the force and the operation.Synchronization requires that public affairs be con-sidered throughout the decision-making process sinceeverything that occurs in an operation has public af-fairs implications. The synchronization of Public Af-fairs and other information functions, such as CivilAffairs, Psychological Operations and Combat Cam-era, is critical and is addressed in detail in FM 100-6,Information Operations. The development of a care-

fully coordinated, comprehensive information cam-paign is necessary to ensure that the activities of thesefunctions are mutually supporting and contribute tothe accomplishment of the operational objectives andthe strategic goals of the operation.

VersatilityPublic affairs must be capable of shifting its fo-

cus, tailoring assets and moving from one mission toanother to meet diverse requirements and provide qual-ity support to the commander. Versatility requires thatPAOs be prepared to provide information to a widevariety of audiences and meet different informationexpectations, desires and styles. Public affairs person-nel must be capable of operating across the entire spec-trum of communication mediums, supporting the fullrange of different media environments and reacting tothe changing levels of media interest and attention.

Public Affairs and theElements of Combat Power

Combat power is created by combining the ele-ments of maneuver, firepower, protection, and leader-ship. Overwhelming combat power is the ability tofocus sufficient force to ensure success and deny theenemy any chance of escape or effective retaliation.Public affairs has always provided potential, if unreal-ized, combat power. An Army compelled to fight andwin in the Information Age must leverage public af-fairs and derive its maximum contribution to combatpower.

As an element of combat power, public affairsspans the continuum from national strategy to tacticaloperations. The Army cannot set out to perform itsmission, let alone succeed, without public support.Public Affairs is the functional area charged and bestable to assist the Army in gaining and sustaining thatsupport. Citizens must understand why the nation re-quires an Army. As a people-intensive enterprise en-tering the Information Age, the Army faces uniquechallenges in defining its role and essential contribu-tions, especially in relation to interests and factorsviewed as “vital” by the American public. Without thisunderstanding, Americans are less likely to understandwhy the nation must spend their tax dollars to fund asophisticated, strategic landpower force. Additionally,strong public support is needed if the Army expects to

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

32

receive the nation’s most precious resource, its sonsand daughters serving as soldiers. Public support forthe Army must be nurtured at all times, during all typesof operations, in peace and war. The responsibility forgaining public support for a particular campaign oroperation may rest with our elected civilian leader-ship, but the Army must never lose sight of its respon-sibility to maintain public support for its role as aninstitution of the people, sworn to support and defendthe constitution.

At operational and tactical levels, public affairscontributes to overall combat power in a variety ofways. It ensures the media has access to the informa-tion it needs to fulfill its historical role and inform theAmerican and world publics. This support, in an open,responsible manner, nurtures and sustains public con-fidence in the Army’s ability to get the job done andtake care of its people, regardless of what the publicmay feel about the nature or value of the mission. Con-fidence in the Army, based on accurate information,good and bad, contributes to the achievement of na-tional goals worldwide. Public affairs ensures that in-ternal audiences, on the battlefield and at home, sol-diers, family members, civilian employees, in both theactive and reserve components are fully informed andhave access to the same information while deployedas they would at home. Access to information enhancesmorale and confidence, counters rumors anddisinformation and ensures soldiers understand theirmission and its importance. This knowledge-based as-pect of performance is critical to unit success and di-

rectly contributes to a deployed force’s combat power.

well beyond the commercial media to the rapidly evolv-ing and expanding Internet community. Failure to ac-commodate the dynamics of media coverage and theglobal information environment can permit adversar-ies to defeat us in the arena of public opinion withoutengaging us in direct combat. The impact of the GIEmakes it a critical element of METT-T and must beconsidered and dealt with through all phases of an op-eration. Commanders should expect their PAOs to befully engaged in this area and provide “value-added”impact to the decision-making process. Public affairsis a responsibility of command, and is an element ofthe command and control battlefield operating system.Commanders should demand that the Public AffairsAnnexes of OPLANS be as substantive and useful asany other.

The active assessment of issues arising from poten-tial media coverage, enemy disinformation, rumors andother factors, and the development of proposed com-munications strategies to resolve those issues can pre-serve a commander’s freedom of action, enhance or pro-tect morale, sustain public support, or convince audi-ences, adversarial or otherwise, that the cost of engag-ing our forces is not acceptable. Information dominancecannot be achieved without effective public affairs sup-port and planning.

Army doctrine for information operations recog-nizes that public affairs must be fully integrated intoIO planning, coordination and execution. Civil-mili-tary and psychological operations must be thoroughly

coordinated with PAoperations to ensurecoherency and credibil-ity. Failure to do so cansubvert a commander’sability to control the in-formation battlespace.PAOs must ensure thatPA or information op-erations never deceivethe media or American

public. The mere perception of deception targetedagainst them can destroy the credibility of the Armyand shatter public support. Indeed, it is arguable thatthe most powerful information weapon in the Armyof a democratic state is ultimately the truth, reportedby a free press.

An Army compelled to fight and winin the Information Age

has no option but to leveragePublic Affairs and derive its maximum

contribution to combat power.

Seemingly simple incidents, often involving veryjunior personnel, can impact national, strategic, or eventactical decision processes if covered by the media.Army Public Affairs helps commanders understand anddeal with the impact and dynamics of media coverage,and the global information environment, which extends

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FM 46-1

Public Affairs and the Force Projection Cycle

FM 100-5, Operations, describes force projectionas the demonstrated ability to rapidly alert, mobilize,deploy, and operate anywhere in the world. It is a keyelement of power projection — the ability of the na-tion to apply all or some of the elements of nationalpower to act in crises, to contribute to deterrence, andto enhance regional stability. Power projection is acentral element of U.S. national security and nationalmilitary strategy. The Army contributes to this strat-egy as part of a joint team through force projection.Force projection applies to the entire Army, active andreserve components, based in or outside the continen-tal United States and supported by civilian employ-ees.

Force projection usually begins as a contingencyoperation—a rapid response to a crisis. No notice alertsbring tremendous stress on soldiers and systems, ac-companied by pressure from the media for informa-tion.

The force projection cycle consists of mobiliza-tion, predeployment activity, deployment, entry opera-tions, operations, war termination and post conflictoperations, redeployment and reconstitution and de-mobilization. Public affairs offices at all levels playan active role throughout the Force Projection Cycle.

Alert and Predeployment ActivitiesFrom the outset of a force projection operation,

internal and external audiences will have significantinformation needs and expectations. Media represen-tatives will provide broad coverage, especially as theforce projection operation increases in size and scope,or when it is in response to a politically sensitive, highlyvisible situation. The GIE will allow audiencesthroughout the world to have access to real-time me-dia coverage, while the military will be concerned withoperational security issues. A variety of Public Affairschallenges are obviously inherent in force projection.

Although the specific details of an alert notifi-cation and predeployment activities may be keptsecret, the fact that units have been notified and are

preparing for deployment in support of a force pro-jection operation cannot be kept secret for long. In theGIE the public and media are aware of internationalevents and impending situations. Considerable publicdiscussion about the possible use of American mili-tary forces in response to a threat or emergency situa-tion will likely precede any operation.

This awareness will cause the public and the me-dia to be attuned to clues of possible military action.Installation and operational public affairs forces, usu-ally collocated during peacetime, must plan for inde-pendent operations during the force projection phaseof any operation. Deploying forces must devote theircomplete attention to preparation for deployment. Con-versely, those PA assets must have a plan to cope witha significantly increased media presence and a simul-taneous reduction in the available PA strength to copewith that presence. Telltale signals, such as increasedtelephone usage and traffic at installations, armoriesor reserve centers, will serve as evidence of alert noti-fication and energize the media. As local media out-lets investigate and report, national media agencies willreact to the story. This will cause the major media or-ganizations to query senior defense officials and po-litical leaders for more information.

Commanders must be prepared for media repre-sentatives to appear at installations, armories and re-serve centers. Leaders must be prepared for reporterswho will seek interviews and comments from soldiers,family members, Army civilians, employers of reserv-ists and community representatives. They must be pre-pared to answer media inquiries concerning a host ofcomplex issues, such as readiness, support mechanismsfor families and the impact of deployment on localcommunities — including the absence of reserve com-ponent personnel from critical civilian occupations.

Maintaining a veil of classified cover over infor-mation, such as lists of units on alert, troop movements,mobilization sites and deployment dates, that is of in-terest to internal and external audiences is extremelydifficult in the global information environment. Whenthe assembly and movement of troops and equipmentis impossible to conceal, the attempt can also be coun-terproductive because the denial of information aboutevents that are clearly evident can result in specula-tion, inaccuracies and lead to a loss of confidence inthe military and subsequent deterioration of morale.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

34

Commanders and their public affairs sections willhave to react rapidly. They will need to provide as muchaccurate, timely information as they can without vio-lating guidance from higher headquarters or the con-straints of operations security. They will have to de-velop and disseminate PA Guidance, establish a me-dia operations center, respond to media queries, sup-port the commander and assist the Army communitywith media interaction.

Even installations or reserve component com-mands which do not have units alerted to participatein the force projection operation can expect a signifi-cant increase in public affairs demands. Local mediaoutlets will seek information that allows them tosupplement national reports with localized coverage.

Commanders must also be prepared to fulfill theincreased information expectations of soldiers and theArmy community. Force projection operations are in-herently challenging, characterized by stress, anxiety,uncertainty, complexity, and a myriad of distractionswhich can interfere with efficient activity. Effectivelycommunicating critical information to internal audi-ences can significantly reduce these problems. Com-manders must seek the advice and assistance of theirpublic affairs personnel to identify requirements anddevise strategies to accomplish this critical require-ment.

PAOs must therefore be an integral element of theinstallation contingency planning team. Austerelyresourced, their sections will be quickly overwhelmed.This is especially true for active Army public affairssections which depend on the public affairs elementof a deploying unit. To offset this problem, public af-fairs sections must plan for augmentation and be pre-pared to obtain support from the reserve componentpublic affairs assets in their War Trace.

MobilizationWhen reserve component forces are activated, as-

sembled and undergo proficiency certification in prepa-ration to augment active component capabilities, com-manders should anticipate significant public affairschallenges. Because reserve component forces are in-tegrated into communities throughout the nation, mo-bilization will attract intense local, regional and na-tional media attention.

The media will seek information on the readiness

of the reserve component forces. They will cover is-sues related to how the mobilization is impacting thosesoldiers, their families, local communities and civil-ian employers. They will report from the home sta-tions of the reserve forces and mobilization stations.Commanders and their public affairs personnel mustbe aware of the complex statutory and regulatory re-quirements for activating reserve component units andindividuals.

DeploymentCommanders should anticipate that the media will

cover the movement of troops and equipment fromhome station to the area of operations. Local coverageof deployment operations should always be expected.National media coverage should be anticipated if thescope of the deployment is wide, public interest in theoperation is high or events occur which draw attentionto the deployment.

Media representatives will cover rail and road con-voys to ports of embarkation, and activities at sea andair ports. They will seek to report on the units, types offorces and numbers deploying. They will conduct in-terviews with the family members of soldiers who aredeploying. They will cover the impact of deploymenton the local community, region and state. The fact thatdeployment activities are very visible creates complexpublic affairs challenges. Army leaders must carefullyweigh operations security concerns against the realityof operating in the public domain when developingand disseminating Public Affairs Guidance.

Entry OperationsIn today’s global information environment, na-

tional and international media organizations will prob-ably be reporting from inside an area of operationsbefore the projection of U.S. forces. Those media rep-resentatives will be alerted to the imminent arrival ofU.S. forces. Commanders must be prepared to meetmedia representatives when their force enters the areaof operations.

When the entry is unopposed, deploying units cananticipate arriving at air or sea ports of debarkationunder the watchful eyes of the media, and therefore aninternational audience. The force will be subjected toimmediate scrutiny, analysis and evaluation as it dis-embarks and moves to a cantonment or lodgment area.The images presented during this period can signifi-cantly influence public perception of force prepared-

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FM 46-1

ness and competence, and can impact mission effec-tiveness. Integrating PA personnel into the entry op-erations planning, and including them in the first ele-ment of deploying forces, will ensure that the com-mander has sufficient, appropriate assets available toconduct media facilitation, and provide news and in-formation operations. It can contribute to a more me-thodical, well ordered entry operation and enhanceconfidence in the force.

When commanders anticipate having to conductan opposed entry operation, they should still antici-pate that journalists will be present in the area of op-erations and reporting on the entry operation. As in anunopposed entry, coverage of an opposed entry cansignificantly impact public perception of the opera-tion and the successful accomplishment of the mis-sion. When an opposed entry is anticipated, PA per-sonnel must be integrated into the planning and shouldbe deployed as early in the operation as possible.

Redeployment, reconstitutionand demobilization

The final phases of force projection operations willalso attract significant media attention. The return ofdeployed forces after the completion of an operationwill be subjected to coverage which is tinted by thepublic perception of the success of the operation. Com-manders must be prepared to answer a myriad of que-ries about what occurred and why. Media representa-tives will be extremely interested in a wide range ofissues related to the physical and psychological healthand welfare of returning forces and their families.When mobilization has occurred, they will also focuson issues revolving around the reintegration of return-ing reserve component forces into their civilian lives.

The sustaining base or installation public affairsoffice supports commanders’ goals by implementinga program of effective two-way communication whichis critical to building teams, bridging boundaries andcreating a community atmosphere characterized byinclusion, concern, support and consensus.

Multinational OperationsIn peace, conflict and war, multinational opera-

tions serve two purposes. First, a more powerful forceis created by combining the capabilities and strengthsof several national participants. Of even greater sig-nificance, however, is the political unity of purpose

demonstrated by multiple nations conducting combinedoperations.

FM 100-8, Multinational Operations, cites politi-cal considerations as the single most important factorin multinational operations. Whether peace operationsor humanitarian assistance missions, the advantagesof combined operations are accompanied by uniquechallenges. Commanders may have to make accept-able, rather than optimum, decisions on use of coali-tion forces to maintain the political cohesion of thepartnership. Mission goals must be clearly defined andmutually understood. Spokespersons from all nationsmust “speak with one voice” to reinforce this unity ofpurpose.

Multinational partnerships consist of alliances andcoalitions. All are influenced by psychological, eco-nomic, technological and political factors. Alliancesare long-standing relationships of nations with formal,standardized agreements and operating procedures ori-ented on long-term objectives. Coalitions, however,are created for a single purpose and a finite length oftime. Coalition members may be widely diverse inculture, politics and philosophy and therefore their re-lationships may be somewhat tenuous and fragile. Eachnation enters into an alliance or coalition for its ownreasons, therefore, a mutually agreed upon end statemust be clearly defined.

The U.S. participates in alliances and coalitionsdue to the strategic principle of collective security. TheArmy conducts multinational operations with a vari-ety of foreign and domestic military forces, govern-ments, non-governmental organizations and interna-tional agencies. National contingents, NGOs and pri-vate organizations all have unique capabilities whichcollectively make possible operations the U.S. cannotor will not conduct alone.

Peace operations are nearly always multinationaland are designed to allow the political process to re-solve conflicts. The political and cultural complexi-ties of past and present alliances and coalitions canmake it particularly difficult, yet vitally important forpeace keepers to be seen as impartial to belligerentswhile firmly united within their coalitions.

Public Affairs Guidance and talking points mustreinforce the fact that the operation is a team effort.This enhances the mutual confidence and respect which

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

36

solidify the partnership. Lack of confidence in and re-spect for coalition partners can doom an operation tofailure.

Spokespersons must be sensitive to cultural dif-ferences and sensitivities when addressing issues thatinvolve other coalition members. Even an appearanceof cultural insensitivity can undermine popular andpolitical support for a member nation’s participation,thus threatening coalition unity.

U.S. doctrine for information and public affairsoperations prescribes close coordination between Pub-lic Affairs, Civil Affairs and Psychological Operationsto ensure consistent messages. This is equally if notmore important in a multinational environment to en-sure consistent presentation of clearly defined com-mon objectives.

Information release authority and procedures mustbe agreed to by coalition members to avoid conflictsand delays. Not all nations have a standard policy of“maximum disclosure with minimum delay.” Standardprocedures can eliminate the conflicts and confusioncreated when one nation addresses an incident thatanother will not acknowledge.

Operation and public affairs planners must—•designate a primary spokesperson for the MNF

and operation,•ensure that coalition members “speak with one

voice,”•develop a clear definition of operation objectives

and measures of success,•understand that not all nations are equally can-

did about success and failures,•be aware of cultural differences and sensitivities

of coalition partners, and•establish a combined/allied media operations

center

Public Affairs support toJoint Operations

Although there are occasions when the Army willoperate as an independent element, it normally con-ducts operations as part of a joint, multinational or in-teragency team. The Army regularly works in concertwith other military forces (both sister services and al-lied forces), non-DoD governmental agencies, and pri-vate (non-governmental) agencies. The Army may be

tasked to provide the base force of a Joint InformationBureau (JIB), preferably using a Public Affairs Op-erations Center with Mobile Public Affairs Detachmentaugmentation.

The principles of public affairs are no different ina joint environment than for single-service operations.The primary aim is still to expedite the flow of com-plete, accurate and timely information about the ac-tivities of U.S. joint forces.

Joint PA includes planning, media facilitation,execution of internal and external information strate-gies and when appropriate, training and communityrelations. Individual service and DoD responsibilities,as well as JIB operating procedures, are addressed inJoint Pub 1-07, Doctrine for Public Affairs in JointOperations.

The JIB is the focal point for interface betweenthe media and joint forces. At a minimum, the Armyelement will staff an Army cell within the JIB. Morelikely, however, will be PA soldiers serving in all sec-tions of the JIB, including planning cells, media fa-cilitation section and information product generation.

Information bureaus may be single nation JIBs ormay well be Combined Information Bureaus or AlliedPress Information Centers. These multinational infor-mation bureaus allow various allies or coalitions tocollectively “speak with one voice” as well as explainthe roles of the individual nations.

PA planning is a command responsibility. It mustbe coordinated, at a minimum, with other staff plan-ners. Vital to the conduct of the operation is the coor-dination and cooperation of PA operations with—

•other U.S. staffs and units•host-nation military public affairs personnel•coalition military public affairs personnel•U.S. country team•international agencies when applicable•private-volunteer organizations when applicable•other non-governmental organizations

The theater, joint-task force PAO or media opera-tions center director, will usually coordinate in-coun-try PA activities through the country team. The coun-try team concept represents the process of interdepart-mental coordination among key members of the U.S.diplomatic mission. In practice, the makeup of the

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FM 46-1

country team varies, depending on the—•desires of the chief of mission,•country situation,•departments and agencies represented in coun-

try, and•issues of concern.

The country team coordinates activities to achievea unified program for the Host Nation and U.S. na-tional interests. Working under the ambassador’s di-rection, the country team pools the skills and resourcesof the participating agencies. This combined efforthelps eliminate problems and realize U.S. national ob-jectives and goals.

U. S. AmbassadorThe ambassador presides over the country team.

Team composition is determined by the ambassadorand normally includes but is not limited to the—

•Deputy Chief of Mission•Director, USAID•Director, USIS•FBI liaison•CIA station chief•press secretary•department attaches•economic officer•political officer•chief of the SAO•embassy staff personnel, as appropriate.•Defense Attaché.

U.S. Government AgenciesEffective Public Affairs operations at the Army,

JTF level may at some time require close contact be-tween the U.S. military, the Department of State (DoS),and other U.S. Government agencies. Normally an ex-ecutive order defines agency responsibilities, functions,and interagency relationships. Either the senior DoSrepresentative or the U.S. commander will be assignedoverall responsibility for U.S. activities in the area.

Department of StateBecause the DoS formulates and implements for-

eign policy, it has a vested interest in PA activities. Inthe area of public affairs, the DoS has primary or jointresponsibility with DoD for policy concerning—

•the extent to which U.S. forces will aid a hostgovernment,

•any matters that may impact on U.S. relations withother nations, particularly allies or neutrals,

•the level at which the economy of a country willbe maintained by U.S. operations,

•matters involving PSYOP, PA, CA, or other mea-sures to influence the attitude of the populace.

U.S. Information AgencyThe USIA is an independent agency of the U.S.

government that helps achieve U.S. foreign policyobjectives by influencing public attitudes in foreignareas. It advises the President and the various U.S. de-partments and agencies of the possible impact of policy,programs, and official statements on foreign opinion.The USIA will be interested in the conduct of publicaffairs operations in the host country or theater of op-erations.

Nongovernment OrganizationsNongovernment Organizations (NGOs) and hu-

manitarian groups are often located in the AO before,during and after any military operation. They arepresent before the media arrive and are often initialsources of information for journalists, and may serveas major sources of information during an operation.

Prior to deployment, PA personnel must knowwhat agencies and organizations are in their assignedarea. These organizations may conduct operations thatare humanitarian (short-term) or developmental (long-term) in scope. The sponsoring groups or agencies maybe private corporations, foundations, professional as-sociations, or religious groups. Public affairs forceson the ground should make contact with these organi-zations to develop an understanding of their goals andto establish an understanding of their potential needsfrom the PA community. Representatives of these or-ganizations are credible spokespersons on the localsituation and could prove invaluable in local publicaffairs personnel gaining background on the opera-tional situation from the perspective of the NGO.

Sustaining Base OperationsSustaining base PA operations focus efforts on:•Identifying the perceptions, attitudes and infor-

mation expectations and requirements of internal andexternal audiences—what soldiers, family members,civilian employees, retirees, local civilian leaders, com-munity members and others think about and want orneed to know about the Army, the installation, its op-erations and activities.

•Evaluating the potential impact of information in

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

38

whole, and rarely on individual units. With the vastnumber of active and reserve military units that par-ticipate in operations, many are never mentioned bythe commercial press. This can heighten the anxietyof families and be detrimental to the morale of bothfamilies and soldiers. Often the only information fami-lies get about “their” soldiers is what is provided infamily support briefings and in information productscreated by public affairs units. Keeping these key au-diences informed is a primary goal of public affairsinformation strategies.

Meeting the information needs of internal and ex-ternal audiences enhances organizational, installationand community morale, confidence, cohesion, esprit,discipline and effectiveness. It establishes a sense ofcommunity identity, culture, cooperation and mutualinterdependence. It eases concerns and distractions sothat the installation or reserve center/armory can con-centrate on performing its mission of improving readi-ness and community support. It reduces the uncertainty,rumor, and misinformation, which causes stress con-flict and misconduct. It results in interaction and co-operative problem identification, definition and reso-lution. An active, coordinated, total public affairs pro-gram ensures that soldiers and their families, civilianemployees, employers of reservists, retirees, local com-munity leaders and members of the local community,along with other audiences, understand and supportthe installation’s goals and objectives, and contributeto setting and accomplishing the installations’ mission.

The public�s right to knowBecause the Army is an agency of the U.S. gov-

ernment, its internal audiences, local civilian leadersand community members and the American publichave a right to know about its operations, but moreimportantly, the Army has an obligation to keep theseaudiences informed. Therefore, the installation com-mander should make information readily available.Open and independent reporting will be the norm, jour-nalists should be granted access to all units, activitiesand operations, within the bounds of operational secu-rity. Information should not be withheld solely to pro-tect the installation or the Army from criticism or em-barrassment.

Every soldier, family member and civilianemployee is a spokesperson

The installation, reserve center or armory com-mander is the community’s official spokesperson. Jun-

internal and external audiences—how soldiers, familymembers, civilian employees, employers of reservists,retirees, local civilian leaders and community mem-bers and others will probably react to information aboutthe installation, its operations and activities.

•Developing information communication strate-gies—how to most efficiently and effectively provideinformation about an installation, reserve center or ar-mory, and its operations and activities.

•Assessing the effectiveness of the informationcommunication strategy—how successful is the effortto provide information about an installation, reservecenter or armory, and its operations and activities.

•Serving as the interface between the media andthe military — how to best provide information andaccess.

•Educating, training and counseling soldiers, fam-ily members, and civilian employees to understand thelocal media environment, establish and maintain ef-fective media relations and handle media encounters.

The relationship between the installation, reservecenter or armory, and its internal and external audi-ences necessitates that the potential public affairs im-plications and requirements of every installation ac-tivity and operation be considered at all times. This isespecially critical during crisis management and mo-bilization, deployment, and redeployment operations,even when the installation is not directly involved. Itis also important when national debate is occurringabout a politically sensitive or controversial issue re-lated to Department of the Army or Department ofDefense. During such times, the information require-ments of both internal and external audiences increasedramatically. Installation and reserve center/armorycommanders and their staffs, advised and supportedby their public affairs elements, need to develop aneffective, active public affairs program which stressesthe open, honest, accurate, complete, and timely re-lease of information to internal and external audiencesand is based on:

Identifying, understanding and fulfillinginformation needs

When soldiers are deployed, and particularly whenconducting operations that are actually or perceived tobe dangerous, family and community desires for in-formation are greatly increased. These informationneeds are not always met by commercial media orga-nizations. National and international news organiza-tions concentrate their efforts on the operation as a

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FM 46-1

ior soldiers, family members and civilian employees,however, are often perceived as more honest, accu-rate, forthright, insightful and believable. Peers, com-munity groups and media representatives, therefore,will want to talk with, interview or hear from themand get their thoughts about issues, events or situa-tion. Good commanders recognize this and find op-portunities to “make it happen.”

Proactive media facilitationThe civilian news media is an important informa-

tion channel to the local community and Americanpublic, and most media representatives strive to pub-lish accurate, truthful, balanced stories. The media’sgoal is not to undermine, interfere or misrepresent theinstallation, its operations and activities or the Armyand DoD, although some stories are negative and mis-understanding, errors and criticism do occur.

By proactively assisting news media representa-tives in obtaining information and access, command-ers can help them to understand the installation, com-munity and Army goals. This results in stories whicheducate and which lead to understanding and supportfor the installation and the Army and the contributionsthey make to the community and the nation. It leadsto recognition that the installation, reserve center orarmory are “good neighbors” whose presence is a ben-efit to the community. It presents the installation, re-serve center/armory, and the Army as organizationsmade up of respected professionals who are concerned,involved citizens operating efficiently, effectively andin the best interests of the community and the nation.

Effective installation Public AffairsThe proactive, comprehensive, organized, effort

to openly, honestly, accurately and completely providemaximum information with minimum delay within thebounds of OPSEC, support open and independent re-porting, and promotes the free flow of general andmilitary information without censorship or propa-ganda—is an essential element of success during peace,conflict, and war. Effective public affairs—the man-agement of the critical flow of information to key in-ternal and external audience — increases awarenessand understanding of installation and Army culture,issues, situations, policy positions and procedures. Itfurthers installation and Army goals by monitoring thesupport and attitude of key audiences, by assessing theaccuracy and perspective of reported information, andby educating key audiences about installation and

Army strengths, weaknesses and plans. A cost-effec-tive, resource-efficient installation, reserve center/ar-mory public affairs operation enhances mission effec-tiveness, leads to a healthy positive community cli-mate, and results in increased support for the installa-tion, the community, and the Army.!

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

40

Stability andSupport Operations

Chapter 5

The Army supports domestic civil authorities, pro- Success in these operations, whether in peace orconflict, is measured by principles derived from thenature of the operation, the most important being theprimacy of the political instrument of national power.This is the desire to solve problems through politicalprocesses and without resorting to war.

Information is a major element in these operations.Support for the mission and perceptions of its legiti-macy are greatly affected by making information avail-able to participants, observers, supporting nations andthe international community.

This is best achieved through coordinated infor-mation operations. Public affairs, civil affairs and psy-chological operations use distinct methods and addressdistinct audiences, but must all be coordinated to en-sure common credibility. Information operations areaddressed extensively in FM 100-6, Information Op-erations.

Missions of both categories, assistance and peaceoperations, are media intensive. This media attention,rather than being viewed as a hindrance, is in fact anasset. Media reports are often considered more cred-ible than official pronouncements. They are a primaryconduit for communicating Army goals, capabilitiesand accomplishments. Media reports contribute to per-ceptions of legitimacy, requiring the presentation ofconsistent, clear messages about the operation.

Public Affairs Guidance and policy may be deter-mined by the national command authorities. Publicaffairs procedures are often specified in the Terms of

vides humanitarian and disaster relief, contributes

tively termed stability and support operations (formerlycalled operations other than war, (OOTW)). These mis-sions are intended to preserve and promote regionalstability, maintain democratic values, provide humani-tarian assistance, defuse crisis, reduce tensions anddeter war. They are executed in an environment of glo-bal visibility. Media coverage can be pivotal to thesuccess of the operation and in achieving national stra-tegic goals.

The practice of public affairs in stability and sup-port operations is fundamentally the same as it is inwar. An effective PA strategy helps internal and ex-ternal audiences understand the operation and it en-genders confidence in the force. It can also reduce thefear, suspicion, apprehension and misunderstandingwhich degrade operational effectiveness.

Stability and support operations can be viewed intwo broad categories: assistance missions and peaceoperations. Assistance missions, both foreign and do-mestic, include the full range of humanitarian aid anddisaster relief operations. Peace operations include sup-port to diplomacy, peacekeeping and peace enforce-ment. This range of missions is addressed in depth inFM 100-19, Domestic Support Operations, FM 100-20, Stability and Support Operations and in FM 100-23, Peace Operations.

to nation building, joins multinational peacekeepingand peace enforcement efforts, assists in counter-drugefforts and executes a wide range of missions collec-

41

FM 46-1

Reference (TOR) for an operation and are derived fromthe operation mandate. TOR describe the mission, com-mand relationships, organizations and other operationdetails.

For example, the TOR for UNOSOM II in Soma-lia included the instruction that “The U.S. Departmentof State will remain the lead agency for public affairsactivities regarding all aspects of U.S. participation inUNOSOM.”

Support to diplomacyMilitary support to diplomacy includes actions that

contribute and are subordinate to the diplomatic peace-making process. Support to diplomacy includes activi-ties categorized as peacemaking, peace building andpreventive diplomacy.

The PA planning, information strategies and me-dia facilitation operations contribute to the peacemak-ing process by enhancing key audiences’ knowledgeof U.S. intentions, capabilities and alliances. This in-cludes the internal audience of operation participants,the American public, the citizens of the area of opera-tions, and global, international audiences.

Peacemaking includes the stationing of forcesabroad as part of a forward presence, military-to-mili-tary exchanges, routine exercises, and peacetime de-ployments.

Peace building consists primarily of post-conflictactions that rebuild civil infrastructures and institutions.It usually includes military as well as civilian effortssuch as rebuilding physical infrastructures, schools andmedical facilities as well as the restoration of civilauthority.

Preventive diplomacy often involves preventivedeployments, other shows of force, or higher levels ofreadiness. Since the intent is to demonstrate U.S. mili-tary power coupled with resolve and commitment,extensive, active public affairs activities contribute tooperational effectiveness.

As described in FM 100-23, Peace Operations, theprimary differences between peacekeeping (PK) andpeace enforcement (PE) are the operational variablesof consent, force and impartiality.

Consent: In peacekeeping, belligerent parties con-sent to the presence and operation of peacekeepingforces, while in peace enforcement, consent is not ab-solute and force may be used to compel or coerce. Inpeacekeeping, consent is clear.

Force: In peacekeeping, force may be used onlyin self-defense or defense with a mandate. In peaceenforcement, force is used to compel or coerce.

Impartiality: In peacekeeping impartiality is moreeasily maintained, while the nature of peace enforce-ment strains the perception of impartiality on the partof the peace enforcement force.

The level of consent, level of force and degree ofimpartiality are all variables that may collectively orindividually shift during an operation.

Loss of impartiality can cause loss of consent bybelligerent parties which in turn can trigger violentactions leading to increased levels of force and a seri-ous shift from PK to PE. FM 100-23 describes thischange in the nature of the operation as “crossing theconsent divide.”

PeacekeepingPeacekeeping operations are characterized by all

parties consenting to the presence of the peacekeep-ing force. The mission of the peacekeeping force is tomonitor and maintain a negotiated truce and allow thefacilitation of a diplomatic solution to the politicalconflict. Mission success is dependent upon the peace-keeping force being viewed as impartial by thebelligerents. The safety and security of the peacekeep-ing force is often contingent upon maintenance of thisimpartiality.

It is therefore imperative that Public Affairs Guid-ance and talking points reinforce this position of neu-trality and impartiality. Even a hint of partiality candestroy trust of the force and jeopardize not only themission but the lives of soldiers.

Peace enforcementIn peace enforcement operations, not all

belligerents may consent to the presence of outsideforces. The intervening force may have to resort tocoersive violence to achieve the mission objectives,yet must still maintain its impartiality toward all par-

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

42

ties if at all possible. Peace enforcement is likely to bea United Nations mission integrating military and dip-lomatic elements.

Success in peace operations requires a politicalsolution, one that cannot be achieved without the sup-port of the local populations and faction leaders. Thisneccessitates information operations planning ensur-ing coordination of public affairs, civil affairs andPSYOP to ensure consistency of command messagesand reinforcement of the impartiality, restraint andresolve of the force. Public affairs helps ensure thatwhat is reported in the international media is consis-tent with what is communicated via PSYOP productsand civil affairs programs.

Since peace operations usually receive intense,international media attention, participating soldiersmust fully understand that the decisions they make,and their actions, can have immediate strategic andpolitical implications. They must understand the na-ture of the operation and know its goals.

Public affairs internal information programs con-tribute to their knowledge of the history and culturalfactors that shape the operation and its context. Theyenhance soldiers’ knowledge of their coalition part-ners, contributing to mutual trust and respect. A ro-bust internal information program reinforces and ex-pands on pre-deployment classes.

FM 100-20, Stability and Support Operations, andFM 100-23, Peace Operations, address the range ofnoncombat operations in depth.

Noncombatant EvacuationsBy Executive Order, the Department of State is

responsible for protection and evacuation of Ameri-can citizens abroad. The Department of Defense is di-rected to advise and assist the DoS in planning andexecuting noncombatant evacuation operations.

The Chief of Mission (COM) has authority overmedia coverage. The USIS public affairs representa-tive is responsible for media relations and is the pointof contact for the JTF PAO.

NEO operations often result from dramatic, if nottragic, circumstances and therefore are of considerableinterest to the media and the public. The public affairs

goals in NEO operations are to—•keep U.S. and international publics informed of

the operation while ensuring OPSEC and personnelsecurity

•contribute to public confidence in U.S. procedures•facilitate open media access to the operation while

exercising sensitivity to the anxiety and despair felt bythe evacuees

•illustrate U.S. forces’ capabilities, readiness andprofessionalism

Well publicized American intentions can help pre-vent interference with the operation, therefore, an in-formation strategy coordinated by PA, CA and PSYOPmust be developed during initial operational planning.PA operations can also help reduce rumor and anxietywithin the task force, evacuees and the public.

PAOs of units in the host nation must obtain pub-lic affairs guidance from the chief of mission who isresponsible for NEO media activities.

A JIB may be established at the NEO operationscenter, in which case the JTF PAO coordinates withthe COM for public affairs guidance.

Initial media coverage can be expected to concen-trate on the people being evacuated and their reactionsto departing the host nation. Coverage can be expectedto then shift to the effectiveness of the military NEOand the treatment of the evacuees during transport totheir final destination.

Access to and interviews with evacuees will be asauthorized by the senior on-scene State Departmentpublic affairs representative. The JTF PAO and com-manders concerned will authorize interviews with USmilitary personnel.

NEO operations are addressed in detail in FM 90-29, Noncombatant Evacuation Operations, which alsocontains a detailed public affairs plan for a unified com-mand NEO.

Domestic SupportThe Army has long provided a range of services

to the nation through a variety of domestic supportoperations. These missions fall into four general cat-egories: disaster assistance, environmental assistance,law enforcement and community assistance.

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FM 46-1

The Army provides domestic support from posts,camps, installations, reserve centers, armories and sta-tions as members of the community in which they arelocated. Domestic support operations use Army hu-man and material resources to enhance national secu-rity and the nation’s overall well-being. They usuallyattract considerable media attention and therefore allhave public affairs implications.

These operations, and the restrictions on Armyinvolvement, are addressed at length in FM 100-19,Domestic Support Operations.

The media will generally have unrestricted accessto domestic support operations. The Army will usu-ally conduct these operations in conjunction with otheragencies and will not normally have the lead. Publicaffairs operations will be conducted within the re-straints and guidance developed by the lead agency.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency isusually the lead agency for domestic disaster reliefoperations. Following Hurricane Andrew in 1992, theDepartment of Transportation was the lead agency ofa presidential task force that included extensive mili-tary support. The Joint Information Center (JIC) inFlorida was led by DoT, and staffed by PAOs from 13federal and state agencies and by military public af-fairs units from the JTF. This included volunteers froma reserve component Public Affairs Operations Cen-ter and an active component Mobile Public Affairs De-tachment.

The JIC staff produced press conference factsheets, conducted media escorts and interviews, re-sponded to media queries, operated a media clippingsection, prepared news briefing summaries for the Sec-retary of Transportation and logistically supported thesecretary’s briefing room and media workroom.

For three weeks, active duty and reserve compo-nent Army broadcasters operated “Radio Recovery,”an AM radio station transmitting disaster relief infor-mation in several languages. The JTF and ARFORpublic affairs elements also produced four editions ofan eight-page command information newspaper for theJTF, and an additional newsletter for the ARFOR.

The JTF PAO, JIC director and the presidentialtask force press secretary coordinated strategy for pressconferences as well as the announcements of troop

drawdown and the transition of military to civiliansupport.

PA domestic support operations serve to informthe public of army involvement, goals and capabilitiesas well as communicating to internal audiences. Inter-nal information programs and products enhance theparticipating soldiers’ morale as well as their under-standing of the operation. These products, when givenArmy-wide dissemination, also serve to inform othersoldiers who may potentially perform similar missions.

Army public affairs strategies, while executed inthe interest of demonstrating Army responsiveness,concern and assistance, must not pre-empt the author-ity of the local government or appear to be taking creditfor success at the expense of other contributing par-ties.

Since civilian agencies usually have the lead indomestic support operations, PA plans must be care-fully coordinated with that agency. These operationsplans must contain clearly defined information releaseauthority as well as coordination procedures to ensureconsistent messages protect the credibility of the op-e r a t i o n .

This coordination and delineation of release pro-cedures is of particular importance in sensitive opera-tions such as anti-terrorism and counter-drug missionsto ensure operational security as well as consistentcommand messages.

Public affairs officers must understand the le-gal restrictions on military support to and involve-ment in domestic operations, particularly in light ofthe varied legal status of National Guard units. Forexample, when under state rather than federal con-trol, Army National Guard units may provide a va-riety of assistance to civilian law enforcement agen-cies. When in federal status, however, the law en-forcement missions that may be given to the sameunits are greatly restricted.

Restrictions on the assistance the military can pro-vide to civilian law enforcement authorities is con-tained in Chapter 18, Title 10, U.S. Code. The popularname for these restrictions is the “Posse ComitatusAct.” Additional federal laws address military supportto counterdrug operations, disaster assistance, and aidto foreign governments.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

44

Counterdrug OperationsThe supported law enforcement agency retains the

lead for public affairs. Release of information by Armypublic affairs must be coordinated with that law enforce-ment agency. This helps protect operational and per-sonnel security.

Good public affairs plans include essential elementsof friendly information to identify information thatshould not be disclosed for operational security reasons.Careful planning ensures that methods and capabilitiesare not compromised. The identities of soldiers provid-ing counterdrug support should not be released.

Environmental SupportArmy involvement in environmental stewardship

includes maintaining a dialogue with area citizens inopen public forums concerning installation issues andprojects with potential environmental impact. It alsoincludes providing support to public restoration, con-servation and protection projects both on installationsand in surrounding communities.

Public involvement is solicited in the spirit of com-munity, but is also required by federal environmentallaw and Army regulations such as AR 200-1, Environ-mental Protection and Enhancement and AR 200-2,Evironmental Effects of Army Actions.

Public involvement is a vital part of an installationenvironmental program. Public support or oppositionto projects can significantly affect their outcome. Thebest public affairs strategy for environmental issues isone that is active and adheres to the principle of “maxi-mum disclosure with minimum delay.” Early publicinvolvement via open discussion of issues fosters posi-tive relations with the community and can prevent orhelp to resolve citizen conflict.

PAOs provide guidance to commanders and instal-lation officials on facilitating dialogue with the com-munity. They are also responsible for identifying andpreparing plans for meeting the public involvement re-quirements associated with environmental programs. PAresponsibilities include issuing releases and public an-nouncements on issues such as environmental assess-ments and impact statements, decision documents andnotices of public meetings. They extend to conductingpublic forums and managing issues.

Environmental public affairs programs are in-tended to present complete, accurate and timely in-formation to the public, to dispel rumors and to so-licit community feedback. They are designed to ful-fill the intent of the law for community involvement,not merely to provide information. The PA programis not designed to sell a particular action or programnor to obscure or cover up situations with potentiallynegative implications.

Community AssistanceCommunity assistance projects and operations

encompass a broad range of social and civic events.They can be national programs focused on develop-ing public support for the Army and its contributionsto the nation and they can be local efforts focused onimproving the local community. A PAO’s close rela-tionship with civic leaders and organizations is a valu-able asset to the commander in planning communityassistance projects.

The public’s impressions of Army support to thecommunity is largely shaped by what is reported inthe media. Media facilitation and coordination of in-formation programs ensure the Army story is told,contributing to public confidence in the military. Pub-lic affairs must be fully integrated into all domesticsupport planning and operations.

FM 100-19, Chapter 8, provides an extensiveoverview of these programs. They are all guided bythe core public affairs process “maintain communityrelations.”!

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FM 46-1

Public Affairs organizations are built around a forceof soldiers and Army civilians who are selected

and trained to articulate the goals and missions of theArmy. This requires more than just a special under-standing of the career field, it requires a broad under-standing of the complex organizations, issues and mis-sions of the U.S. Army. More than 65 percent of thetotal public affairs force and 85 percent of thedeployable TOE unit structure is positioned in the U.S.Army Reserve and Army National Guard. These re-serve units and personnel must be seamlessly integratedwith the active component and focused on supportingthe overall Army goals and objectives.

PersonnelOfficers serve in Functional Area (FA) 46; enlisted

soldiers and noncommissioned officers in Career Man-agement Field (CMF) 46; and Department of the ArmyCivilians serve in career series GS-1035 and GS-1082.These public affairs personnel are assigned to TOEand TDA positions throughout the active and reservecomponents.

Functional Area 46Public affairs officers receive extensive training

in public affairs principles, tactics, techniques and pro-cedures at the Defense Information School and throughthe Army Correspondence Course Program. This com-bination of military and public affairs expertise en-ables PAOs to support the Army, their commander andthe command. Once accessed into Public Affairs, ac-tive component officers alternate between basic branchand public affairs assignments, although there are lim-ited opportunities for officers to single track in FA 46.

Chapter 6

Personnel andOrganizations

Reserve component officers assigned to Troop Pro-gram Units (TPU) also move through basic branch andpublic affairs assignments, based on the command’sneeds and geographical availability. Active Guard/Reserve (AGR) officers are encouraged to single trackafter reaching the rank of major.

Career Management Field 46Soldiers enlisting in CMF 46 receive their ad-

vanced individual training at the Defense InformationSchool. Reserve component soldiers meet the same ba-sic and advanced educational requirements through theDefense Information School, the Army Correspon-dence Course Program and additional resident courses.

Career series GS-1035, 1082Department of the Army Civilians are key mem-

bers of the active and reserve component public af-fairs force. Concentrated in the TDA force, they servein both leadership and specialty skill assignments suchas installation, garrison, state and Regional SupportCommand public affairs officers and specialists.

Foreign National EmployeesOverseas, local nationals are employed in a vari-

ety of public affairs positions to provide continuity,linguistic experience and community relations skillsto all levels of public affairs operations.

The Office of the Chief ofPublic Affairs

The Office of the Chief of Public Affairs (OCPA)is established by Title 10, United States Code para-

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

46

� Public Affairs OperationsCenter (PAOC)Mission

The mission of the Public Affairs Operations Cen-ter (SRC 45423x000) is to on order, conduct a strate-gic deployment to an area of operations to establishand sustain field operations in support of joint, uni-fied, special or Army force command requirements.Once under the command and control of a corps orarmy PAO, Joint Information Bureau (JIB) or AlliedPress Information Center (APIC) director, the PAOCwill command and control all attached MPADs, BODsand PADs to perform public affairs operations.

AssignmentOne per unified, specified command, joint task

force, corps, and TAACOM.

CapabilitiesThe PAOC is commanded by a lieutenant colonel

and is modularly organized, staffed, trained andequipped to rapidly deploy in support of military op-erations. The PAOC has personnel and equipment to:

•conduct PA planning and analysis for the ARFORor JTF commander.

•develop information strategies and campaigns insupport of operations.

•support the Hometown News Release program.•support higher echelon public affairs require-

ments for information, media facilitation, planning andtraining.

•be technologically capable to serve as the baseforce to support ARFOR or Joint PA media center op-erations.

•tactically communicate to public affairs units atechelons above brigade and all supported combat unitsin the operational area.

•provide services and facilities for media repre-sentatives in support of national, multinational, uni-fied or joint operations.

•monitor international and national television newsfor analysis and review of external media messages.

•process and transmit digital still and video im-ages from fast-moving operational environments.

•provide the ARFOR or joint commander with“over the air” radio broadcast capability to dissemi-nate internal information when augmented by a BOD.

•evaluate and conduct public affairs training pro-grams for the JTF.

•ground transport personnel, equipment, media to

graph 3014, and is designated by the Secretary of theArmy with the responsibility for the conduct of pub-lic affairs operations across the United States Army.

The Chief of Public Affairs (CPA) formulates,manages, and evaluates public affairs policies, plansand programs for the active and reserve componentsof the U.S. Army. He or she is responsible to the Sec-retary of the Army (SA) and responsive to the Chief ofStaff, Army.

The CPA has Department of the Army (DA) re-sponsibility for preparing, coordinating and monitor-ing the worldwide implementation of Army PublicAffairs strategies, plans, policies and programs for in-ternal and external information. He or she also has DAresponsibility for:

•developing public affairs plans and programs tosupport other Army plans and programs,

•managing the Army’s Public Information Secu-rity Review Program,

•managing the review and clearance of informa-tion for release outside Department of Defense by theArmy Secretariat (OSA) and the Army Staff(ARSTAFF),

•managing the OSA and ARSTAFF public affairsprogram,

•operational control of the U.S. Army Field Band,•operational control of the Army Broadcasting

Service, and•serving as the proponent for all public affairs is-

sues across doctrine, training, leader development,organization, materiel, soldier support (DTLOMS).

Public Affairs TOEOrganizations

Separate public affairs TOE units augment organicPA sections at Army, corps and division. They alsooperate autonomously when the situation dictates. Theseparate public affairs TOE units establish media cen-ters to facilitate media operations, conduct public af-fairs planning and training, and produce informationproducts for internal and external audiences. Publicaffairs TOE units are predominantly positioned in theU.S. Army Reserve and Army National Guard but areseamlessly integrated with warfighting commandersthrough the War Trace. Units are available as supportpackages to armies, corps, and divisions, as well as tojoint task forces and commanders supporting U.S. mul-tinational operations.

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FM 46-1

separate locations in and around the area of opera-tions with organic vehicles.

Basis of AllocationThe PAOC is available to unified and specified

CinCs and combined commanders to form JIBs orAPICs in unified/combined operations. The PAOCprovides the unified, joint or ARFOR commander,through the PAO, an organic, substantial, flexible pub-lic affairs force, capable of performing all core publicaffairs processes. When deployed in support of Armyoperations the PAOC will be augmented by a BODand one MPAD. The PAOC is further augmented byone MPAD per three brigade-size units in the opera-tion when those units do not have separate PA sup-port.

�Mobile Public AffairsDetachment (MPAD)Mission

The mission of the Mobile Public Affairs Detach-ment (SRC 45413x000) is to provide direct public af-fairs support to Army and JTF units deployed in sup-port of combined or joint operations and provide aug-mentation to a PAOC.

AssignmentThe Mobile Public Affairs Detachment is com-

manded by a major, can be task organized into two orthree teams, and is assigned to the theater, corps orJTF headquarters under the operational and tacticalcontrol of the senior public affairs officer or PAOCcommander.

CapabilitiesThe MPAD is staffed, trained and equipped to rap-

idly deploy in support of brigade, division or corpssize task force operations, with personnel and equip-ment to:

•conduct PA planning and analysis for the ARFORor JTF commander.

•develop information strategies and campaigns insupport of operations.

•support higher echelon Public Affairs require-ments for information, media facilitation, planning andtraining.

•be technologically capable to serve as the baseforce to support ARFOR media operations.

•provide services and facilities for media repre-sentatives in support of national, multinational, uni-fied or joint operations.

•coordinate the assignment of news media repre-sentatives to a unit.

•monitor the global and military information en-vironments; provide analysis and review of externalmedia messages.

•evaluate and conduct public affairs training pro-grams for the JTF.

•tactically communicate to public affairs units atechelons above brigade and all supported combat unitsin the operational area.

•establish a branch PA section at a subordinateunit.

•support the Hometown News Release program.•acquire digital photographs, video images, and

audio recordings.•process digital photographs, video images, and

audio recordings into information products.•distribute digital photographs, video images, and

audio recordings to a variety of mediums.•protect digital images, information products and

information systems from compromise and intrusion.•provide public affairs support to the G5 / S5 for

the development and implementation of civil affairsprograms.

•produce and distribute text, photo, video and au-dio information products to internal and external au-diences.

•manage a news and information product distri-bution system.

•provide higher echelon public affairs elementswith information products produced by the detachment.

•ground transport personnel, equipment, media toseparate locations in and around the area of opera-tions with organic vehicles.

Basis of AllocationMPADs are assigned at a ratio of one per three

brigade size elements assigned to the division, corpsor joint task force they support. Theater Army head-quarters elements are assigned one MPAD in supportof their mission. TAACOMs when augmented by aPAOC are assigned one MPAD per three brigades inthe TAACOM. MPADs are allocated to corps or divi-sion level operations on a one MPAD per three com-bat brigade allocation rule. A minimum of two MPADsare assigned to the PAOC at unified, specified or JTFheadquarters.

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�Broadcast OperationsDetachment (BOD)Mission

The Broadcast Operations Detachment (SRC45607x000) provides direct radio broadcast support totheater and joint task force units deployed in supportof combined or joint operations. When operating withand augmented by the Army Broadcast Service it canextend AFRTS television service.

AssignmentThe BOD is assigned to and augments the PAOC

at the unified or specified command or joint task forceheadquarters, or alternatively operates under the con-trol of the supporting ABS network commander.

CapabilitiesThe BOD is commanded by a major and consists

of a command element, two broadcast teams and amaintenance team. The BOD is modularly organized,staffed, trained and equipped to rapidly deploy. Theunit operates a separate radio broadcast operation tosupport theater level operations. The BOD has person-nel and equipment to:

•support higher echelon public affairs planningand information strategy requirements.

•operate a 24-hour-a-day internal informationover-the-air radio broadcast service.

•perform limited digital video and audio electronicnews gathering in the theater of operations.

•provide limited post production services for au-dio and video news feature material supplied inunedited format by other units.

•perform field maintenance and repair above op-erator level to broadcast and electronic news gather-ing equipment organic to the unit.

•provide the commander with an alternate meansof communications when tactical communications arenot adequate or not available.

Basis of AllocationThe BOD is available to theater or joint task force

commanders to provide theater internal informationbroadcast services. One BOD is assigned to the PAOCat the unified or specified or joint task force headquar-ters.

�Public AffairsDetachment (PAD)Mission

The Public Affairs Detachment (SRC 45500x000)provides direct public affairs support to units deployedin support of combined or joint operations.

AssignmentPublic Affairs Detachments are assets of the corps

or JTF headquarters allocated in sufficient quantitiesto cover the elements of the task force or corps leveloperation. PADs are under the operational and tacticalcontrol of the corps PAO or Public Affairs OperationsCenter.

CapabilitiesThe PAD is commanded by a captain and is modu-

larly organized, staffed, trained and equipped to rap-idly deploy in support of brigade size task force op-erations. The PA section has personnel and equipmentto:

•conduct PA planning for the task force/brigadecommander.

•develop information strategies and campaigns insupport of operations.

•support higher echelon public affairs require-ments for information, media facilitation, planning andtraining.

•be technologically capable to serve as a stand-alone, forward deployed subordinate PA media opera-tions center.

•provide services and facilities for media repre-sentatives in support of national, multinational, uni-fied or joint operations.

•acquire digital video, digital photographic im-ages, and audio voice recordings; process and protectpublic affairs information in support of the operation.

•evaluate and conduct public affairs training pro-grams for the JTF.

•tactically communicate to public affairs units atechelons above brigade and all supported combat unitsin the operational area.

•ground transport personnel, equipment, media toseparate locations in and around the area of opera-tions with organic vehicles.

•support the Hometown News Service program.

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Basis of AllocationThe corps PAO or PAOC commander assigns

PADs to support division, separate brigade, combatbrigade / brigade task forces, armored cavalry regi-ments, medical brigades in the theater of operation.When requested, PADs augment Special OperationForces.

Organic Public Affairs Sections

Public affairs sections are embedded in the head-quarters of separate brigades, divisions and echelonsabove division. These sections provide public affairssupport to the command and serve as the commander’sprincipal advisor on public affairs issues. Rangingfrom a single senior noncommissioned officer to acolonel with a small staff these sections, conduct pub-lic affairs planning and limited operations. Personneland materiel constraints require that these organic PAsections be augmented by separate public affairs TOEunits for most operations.

�Theater ArmyPublic Affairs SectionMission

Theater Army public affairs sections (SRC5100x000) provide public affairs support to the The-ater Army commander and to units assigned or alignedto the Army, training for, mobilized or deployed insupport of combined or joint operations. The ArmyPAO has operational and tactical control over all pub-lic affairs TOE organizations aligned or attached di-rectly to the Army headquarters and coordinates closelywith organic PA sections within corps, divisions, andother forces to carry out public affairs operations.

CapabilitiesThe Theater Army PAO is a colonel and serves on

the commanding general’s personal/special staff. ThePA section is organized, staffed, trained and equippedto rapidly deploy in support of Theater Army level op-erations. The Army PA section has personnel andequipment to:

•conduct public affairs planning and analysis forthe commander.

•develop information strategies and campaigns insupport of operations.

•provide services and facilities, when augmentedby a Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, for media rep-resentatives in support of national, multinational, uni-fied or joint operations.

•support higher echelon public affairs require-ments for information, media facilitation, planning andtraining.

•tactically communicate to public affairs units atechelons above and below corps and all supportedcombat units in the operational area.

•provide limited ground transportation for person-nel, equipment, media in and around the area of op-eration.

Required AugmentationWhen deployed, the Army Headquarters public

affairs staff will be augmented by an MPAD and willassume all the missions and capabilities of that orga-nization.

�Theater Army AreaCommand PA SectionMission

TAACOM public affairs sections (SRC 63612L00)provide public affairs support to the TAACOM com-mander and to units assigned or aligned to theTAACOM, training for, mobilized or deployed in sup-port of national, multinational, combined, unified orjoint operations.

CapabilitiesThe TAACOM PAO is a lieutenant colonel and

serves on the personal/special staff of the TAACOMcommander. The section is organized, staffed, trainedand equipped to rapidly deploy in support of opera-tions. The section has personnel and equipment to:

•conduct public affairs planning and analysis forthe TAACOM Commander.

•develop information strategies and campaigns insupport of operations.

•acquire, process, distribute, and protect informa-tion for the internal and external audience when aug-mented by a PAOC and MPADs.

•provide services and facilities, when augmentedby a PAOC and three MPADs, for media representa-tives in support of national, multinational, unified orjoint operations.

•support higher echelon public affairs require-

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

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ments for information, media facilitation, planning andtraining.

•tactically communicate to public affairs units atechelons above and below corps and all supportedcombat units in the operational area.

•ground transport personnel, equipment, media inand around the area of operation.

•support the Hometown News Release program.

Required AugmentationWhen deployed the TAACOM is augmented by a

PAOC and up to three MPADs.

�CorpsPublic Affairs SectionMission

The corps public affairs section (SRC 52401x000)provides public affairs support to the corps commanderand to corps units to the corps, training for, mobilizedor deployed in support of combined or joint operations.The corps PAO exercises operational control of or-ganic PA units as authorized by the corps commanderand coordinates closely with the PA sections of sub-ordinate units to carry out public affairs operations.

CapabilitiesThe corps PAO is a lieutenant colonel or a colonel

and serves as a staff officer on the personal/specialstaff of the corps commander, and leads a small publicaffairs section within the corps headquarters. The sec-tion is organized, staffed, trained and equipped to rap-idly deploy in support of operations. The section haspersonnel and equipment to:

•conduct public affairs planning and analysis forthe ARFOR, Corps or JTF Commander.

•develop information strategies and campaigns insupport of operations.

•acquire, process, distribute, and protect informa-tion for the internal and external audience when aug-mented by a PAOC and MPADs.

•support higher echelon Public Affairs require-ments for information, media facilitation, planning andtraining.

•provide 24-hour support to the Information Op-erations Battle Staff.

•identify and assess relevant battlefield informa-tion with PA implications to include strategic and tac-tical information.

•when augmented by a PAOC, technologically ca-

pable to serve as a PA media operations center.•when augmented by a PAOC or an MPAD, ca-

pable of providing services and facilities for media rep-resentatives in support of national, multinational, uni-fied or joint operations.

•conduct and evaluate public affairs training pro-grams for the corps, JTF, or ARFOR.

•when augmented by a PAOC, the corps PA sec-tion has the capability of processing and timely trans-mission of digital still and video images from fast-mov-ing operational environments.

•tactically communicate to public affairs units atechelons above and below corps and all supportedcombat units in the operational area.

•ground transport a limited number of personnel,equipment, and media in and around the area of op-eration.

•when augmented by a light truck platoon capableof the coordination and transport of up to 240 mediarepresentatives.

•when augmented by a Public Affairs OperationsCenter with a Broadcast Operations Detachment, thecorps PAO can establish and maintain a 24-hour aday over-the-air radio broadcast facility to provideinformation to the internal audience.

•when augmented by an MPAD and PADs, capableof providing public affairs support to medical brigade-size organizations within the corps.

•support the Hometown News Release program.

Basis of Allocation Corps public affairs sections are organic to each

Army corps.

Required AugmentationWhen deployed, the corps public affairs sections

will be augmented by a PAOC. It is also augmentedby one MPAD for every three combat brigades (infan-try armor, aviation, artillery, etc.) in the task force, aswell as one MPAD for COSCOM augmentation. Theseunits count as the PAOC and division’s allocation forPA augmentation for combat brigades. Additionally,the corps medical brigade, when deployed, will receivePA support from one MPAD and two PADs.

�Corps Support CommandPublic Affairs SectionMission

COSCOM public affairs sections (SRC 63431x000,

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63412x000) provide public affairs support to theCOSCOM commander and to units assigned or alignedto the COSCOM, training for mobilized or deployedin support of combined or joint operations. TheCOSCOM PAO has operational and tactical controlover all public affairs TOE organizations aligned orattached directly to the COSCOM and coordinatesclosely with embedded PA sections within corps, di-visions, and other forces to carry out PA operations.

CapabilitiesThe COSCOM PAO is a major and serves on the

personal/special staff of the COSCOM commander.The PA staff section is organized, staffed, trained andequipped to rapidly deploy in support of COSCOMand task force operations. The COSCOM PAO haspersonnel and equipment to:

•conduct PA planning for the COSCOM or JTFcommander.

•develop information strategies and campaigns insupport of operations.

•support higher echelon Public Affairs require-ments for information, media facilitation, planning andtraining.

•be technologically capable to serve as a stand-alone, forward deployed PA media operations center.

•provide services and facilities for media repre-sentatives in support of national, multinational, uni-fied or joint operations.

•acquire and process digital images in support ofoperations.

•process digital images and information into prod-ucts.

•distribute digital images and products to thePAOC or JIB for distribution to a variety of mediums.

•protect digital images, information products andinformation systems from compromise and intrusion.

•provide public affairs support to the G5 / S5 forthe development and implementation of civil affairsprograms.

•evaluate and conduct public affairs training pro-grams for the COSCOM or JTF.

•tactically communicate to public affairs units atechelons above division, augmenting the division andall supported combat units in the operational area.

•transport personnel, equipment, media in andaround the area of operation.

•support the Hometown News Release program.

Required AugmentationWhen deployed, the COSCOM PA staff will be

augmented by an MPAD.

�DivisionPublic Affairs SectionMission

The division public affairs section (SRC57004x000, 67004x000, 77004x000, 8700x000) pro-vides public affairs support to the division commanderand to divisional units deployed in support of com-bined or joint operations. The division PAO has op-erational and tactical control over all PA TOE organi-zations assigned or attached to the division and coor-dinates closely with embedded PA sections within bri-gades or divisions to carry out PA operations. The di-vision PA staff when deployed is augmented by oneMPAD per three combat brigades. The division publicaffairs section, when augmented by a Public AffairsDetachment, operates the division media operationscenter.

AssignmentOne public affairs staff section per division.

CapabilitiesThe division public affairs officer is a major or a

lieutenant colonel and serves on the personal/specialstaff of the division commander. The staff section isorganized, staffed, trained and equipped to rapidlydeploy in support of brigade and division size task forceoperations. The division public affairs section has thepersonnel and equipment to:

•conduct PA planning and analysis for the com-mander.

•develop information strategies and campaigns insupport of operations.

•support higher echelon public affairs require-ments for information, media facilitation, planning andtraining.

•be technologically capable to serve as a stand-alone, forward deployed, hasty PA media operationscenter.

•when augmented by a PAD, provide services andfacilities for media representatives in support of na-tional, multinational, unified or joint operations.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

52

•acquire digital photographs and audio record-ings.

•process digital photographs and audio record-ings into information products.

•distribute digital photographs and audio record-ings to a variety of mediums.

•protect digital images, information products andinformation systems from compromise and intrusion.

•provide public affairs support to the G5 / S5 forthe development and implementation of civil affairsprograms.

•conduct and evaluate public affairs training pro-grams for the division or JTF.

•provide 24-hour support to the Information Op-erations Battle Staff.

•identify and assess relevant battlefield informa-tion with PA implications to include strategic and tac-tical information.

•tactically communicate to public affairs units atechelons above division, augmenting the division andall supported combat units in the operational area.

•ground transport personnel, equipment, and me-dia in and around the area of operation.

•support the Hometown News Release program.

Basis of AllocationPublic affairs sections are organic to each divi-

sion headquarters.

Required AugmentationWhen deployed, the division public affairs staff

section is augmented by one MPAD per three combatbrigades, and one PAD.

�BrigadePublic Affairs SectionMission

The brigade or separate brigade public affairssection (SRC07402x000, 11402x000, 11612x00,19672x000, 34602x000, 44412x000, 87102x000) pro-vides public affairs support to combat or separate bri-gades, or brigade level task forces deployed in supportof combined or joint operations.

AssignmentOne public affairs staff section per brigade task

force or separate brigade.

CapabilitiesThe brigade task force or separate brigade public

affairs officer is a captain and serves on the specialstaff of the brigade commander. The staff section isorganized, staffed, trained and equipped to rapidly de-ploy in support of brigade-size task force operations.

The section has the personnel and equipment nec-essary to:

•conduct limited PA planning and analysis for thecommander.

•develop limited information strategies and cam-paigns in support of operations.

•support higher echelon public affairs require-ments for information, media facilitation, planning andtraining.

•acquire, process, distribute, and protect informa-tion for the internal and external audience when aug-mented by a PAD.

•provide 24-hour support to the Information Op-erations Battle Staff.

•identify and assess relevant battlefield informa-tion with public affairs implications to include strate-gic and tactical information.

•when augmented by a PAD, technologically ca-pable to serve as a hasty PA media operations center.

•conduct and evaluate public affairs training pro-grams for the JTF or brigade when augmented by aPAD.

•tactically communicate to public affairs units atechelons above and below JTF or brigade level andall supported combat units in the operational area.

•ground transport a limited number of personnel,equipment, and media in and around the area of op-eration when augmented by a PAD.

•support the Hometown News Release program.

Required AugmentationWhen deployed as a brigade size task force or joint

task force, the brigade PA section will be augmentedby one PAD.

DA Public Affairs InternalInformation AgenciesArmy News Service

ARNEWs is the Army’s wire service for internalinformation products serving more than 250 military

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newspapers around the world. Available throughOCPA’s electronic bulletin board PA Link and otherelectronic sources, ARNEWS supports the internal in-formation requirements of commanders through elec-tronic distribution of “wide-interest” news.

Soldiers Radio and TelevisionSRTV provides time sensitive news and internal

information to all Army personnel — military, Armycivilians, their families — at CONUSand overseasArmy installations by the most efficient and effectiveuse of electronic media.

Soldiers MagazineThe Army’s official magazine is published and

distributed monthly to an audience of 1.5 million read-ers. The magazine’s mission is to tell the Army aboutthe Army–to inform active and reserve componentsoldiers, civilian employees and family members abouttheir Army in an informative and entertaining way,focusing on Army people, what the Army is doingaround the world, new equipment, new policies, trendsand ideas.

Soldiers OnlineThis electronic ‘companion service’ to Soldiers

magazine provides additional news and feature mate-rial as well as most of the magazine’s content on aWorld Wide Web homepage.

Army Reserve MagazineThe official magazine for the U.S. Army Reserve

is published and distributed quarterly to the homes of600,000 members of Army Reserve troop programunits, Individual Ready Reservists and Individual Mo-bilization Augmentees. Also available electronically,the magazine provides members of the Army Reserveand their families with information about Army policy,news and feature stories relating to to the U.S. ArmyReserve and America’s Army.

Hometown News ServiceThe Army and Air Force Hometown News Ser-

vice is a field operating activity of the Chief of PublicAffairs. Its mission is to build and implement plansand programs worldwide to increase and strengthenthe ties between citizens and service members. Thisinvolves the annual production and generation of printand electronic news products and feature materials for

a nationwide pool of over 13,000 external news out-lets. It provides a positive media link to the UnitedStates and its territories for the Chief of Public Affairsto showcase the quality of today’s soldiers, their train-ing and worldwide missions. Through this vehicle theAmerican public is informed of the positive aspects ofthe soldier, the unit, and the Army while enhancingrecruiting and retention through reinforcement of unitpride and morale.

Army National GuardTDA Public Affairs

The National Guard in each state, territory and theDistrict of Columbia has the authority to hire one mili-tary technician who serves as the full-time public af-fairs officer for the Army and Air National Guard ofthat state, typically as a member of the AdjutantGeneral’s personal staff. These individuals work in ajoint environment on Army and Air National Guardmatters for their state. They have responsibility for allfunctions of public affairs in their state as it applies tothe National Guard federal mission (weekend train-ing, annual training, overseas deployments, activationsfor federal service, etc.) and state mission (respondingto a Governor’s call to duty during fires, floods, bliz-zards, civil unrest, etc.). In addition to the military tech-nician, states are free to use state resources to hire ad-ditional staff members (deputies, photographers, writ-ers, secretaries) to supplement the public affairs needsof their National Guard.

Numbered TOE public affairs units include Pub-lic Affairs Operations Centers, Mobile Public AffairsDetachments and Public Affairs Detachments. In ad-dition to conducting routine training for their federalwartime missions, these units perform critical publicaffairs functions when the National Guard is called tostate active duty. These units operate joint informa-tion bureaus and provide media operations capabilityto governors and other key state officials.

States also may have public affairs elements aspart of the TDA of their State Headquarters. Whilethere are some restrictions on overall number andgrades, states are free to set the size and rank structureof their State Headquarters public affairs element tomeet the geographic and troop strength needs of thatstate. As with a TOE public affairs unit, TDA publicaffairs members have a federal and state mission.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

54

U.S. Army ReserveTDA Public Affairs

Major TDA organizations include the U.S. ArmyReserve Command, a major subordinate headquartersof Forces Command, ten Regional Support Commands(RSC) and three OCONUS Army Reserve Commands(ARCOM).

The headquarters of most RSC and ARCOM or-ganizations includes a public affairs section. These sec-tions vary in size and organization, but in general in-clude a drilling reserve lieutenant colonel, master ser-geant and staff sergeant, a full time Army civilian pub-lic affairs specialist GS-11/12 and a full time AGRmajor. The PA element advises the commander andstaff on public affairs issues and provides organiza-tional and garrison public affairs support, includingmedia operations, internal information and commu-nity relations operations, and the production of infor-mation products such as newspapers. The RSCs andARCOMs provide command and control responsibili-ties to TOE public affairs units during inactive dutyfor training.

Numbered TOE public affairs units include Pub-lic Affairs Operations Centers, Broadcast OperationsDetachments, Mobile Public Affairs Detachments andPublic Affairs Detachments.

DoD PA Internal Information AgenciesJoint Combat Camera

The deployment of joint combat camera teamsoffers the joint force commander a sophisticated ca-pability to enhance both operational and public affairsmissions. The still and video images obtained providea balance of useful operational information and oncecleared for OPSEC, products for distribution to newsmedia representatives and military public affairs or-ganizations. Combat camera teams often have accessto events and areas unavailable to news media repre-sentatives and military journalists. They bring withthem a technological capability allowing for the timelytransmission of images from the military informationenvironment. Since deployed COMCAM teams sup-port the entire spectrum of an operation, it is essential

that public affairs imagery requirements be identifiedand prioritized throughout the planning cycle.

The American Forces Information ServiceAFIS is responsible to the Assistant Secretary of

Defense for Public Affairs for the management, op-eration, evaluation and control of internal informationat the Office of the Secretary of Defense level andserves the needs of the military departments unifiedcommands and other components. This includes man-agement and/or oversight of a range of activities andorganizations including the Armed Forces Radio andTelevision Service, American Forces Press Service,Current News and Analysis Branch, the Defense In-formation School and the Visual Information Direc-torate.

Armed ForcesRadio and Television Service

AFRTS is the principal operational element of theAmerican Forces Information Service. The AFRTSmission is to provide radio and television news, sports,information and entertainment programming to DoDpersonnel and their family members stationed over-seas or at sea where English language broadcast ser-vice is unavailable or inadequate.

The programs are representative of those seen andheard in the United States, and are provided withoutcensorship, propagandizing, or manipulation. AFRTSexercises no control over the content of program ma-terial, but deletes commercials and replaces them withDoD internal information and other public service spotannouncements of interest to DoD personnel and theirfamily members. All programs are acquired and dis-tributed by the AFRTS Broadcast Center at MarchAFB, CA.

Army Broadcasting ServiceThe Chief of Public Affairs, through the Army

Broadcasting Service (ABS) acts for the SA in execut-ing the Secretary’s responsibility as DoD ExecutiveAgent for AFRTS operations in geographic areas des-ignated as the responsibility of the Army.

The Army Broadcasting Service is responsible formanaging and controlling all resources necessary tooperate and maintain U. S. Army Armed Forces Radioand Television Service (AFRTS) outlets. Army Broad-

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casting Service insures that U. S. Army OCONUS ra-dio and television outlets are responsive to the needsof major commanders, providing internal information,news and entertainment to military and DoD civilianpersonnel and their families overseas.

Army Broadcasting Service supports the war fight-ing commander’s internal information objectives dur-ing normal and high intensity operations, plans annualand overseas training and support for reserve compo-nent Broadcast Operation Detachments, and plans anddesigns information strategies and public affairs cam-paigns supporting theater PAO and CINC commandinformation directives. !

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

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Organic public affairs assets are inadequate to support a high level of media interest or a large

media presence in the area of operations and will re-quire augmentation by public affairs TOE units andindividual soldiers positioned in the U.S. Army Re-serve and Army National Guard. These augmentingassets are available to commanders at all levels as partof force packages, as separate units for selected mis-sions and as individual public affairs soldiers.

The types of units and individuals provided willvary depending on the mission, the force mix required,the forces available, and whether the support is for atraining event, exercise or operational contingency. Inmost cases, active and reserve component public af-fairs assets are available year-around for both shortnotice deployments and for scheduled training events.Commanders must realize that augmentation and sup-port is available in the type, quantity and timelinessrequired, but must plan and request accordingly.

In all cases, requests are forwarded through CINCchannels to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or throughMACOM chains of command to HQDA. Headquar-ters, DA DCSOPS receives requests from JCS or aMACOM, evaluates mission requirements, determinesthe most appropriate component, then tasks the properagency or MACOM for forces.

Public affairs issues and requirements should beaddressed in the initial planning guidance and through-out the planning and decision-making process. Plan-ners must conduct a careful estimate of the public af-fairs implications of the mission and provide an accu-rate analysis of the nature and scope of support required.

Chapter 7

Employment andSupport of PA Forces

If the mission is in support of a recurring exerciseor other requirement, planning for reserve componentsupport should be accomplished 18 to 24 months inadvance. PA planners must ensure they provide theircommander with a thorough, complete, and realisticappraisal of their requirements and options.

Employment of PA unitsPublic affairs units are organized as Public Affairs

Operations Centers (PAOC), Mobile Public AffairsDetachments (MPAD), Broadcast Operation Detach-ments (BOD) and Public Affairs Detachments (PAD).These units are highly mobile, modularly organized,and capable of rapid deployment to support the widestvariety of contingency operations. MPADs are de-ployed either in direct support to a PAO or as augmen-tation to a PAOC.

Public AffairsOperations Center

The PAOC is a gaining command, augmented withtwo or more MPADs for duty within media centers,Joint Information Bureaus or Allied Press InformationCenters. The PAOC commander works for the gain-ing command PAO.

As with an infantry battalion headquarters with-out its line companies, the PAOC is not fully missioncapable without MPADand BOD augmentation. ThePAOC sections – administration and support, registra-tion, briefing, escort and production/marketing – arestaffed at the cadre level, and require augmentation of46As, 46Qs, 46Rs and 46Zs from the MPADs. The

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Mobile Public AffairsDetachments

Although the personnel, structure and equipmentof MPADs are constant, their employment requireseach to train to a Mission Essential Task List (METL)for distinct yet related and interchangeable missions.

MPADs in Direct SupportAn MPAD in direct support of a gaining command

PAO provides primary acquisition capability for print,audio and video.

Unlike augmenting MPADs which report to thePAOC, the MPADs in direct support are not orientedsolely on media facilitation. Their mission is to sup-port the PAO with the following capabilities—

•write, edit, design and produce the supportedunit’s internal information products

•acquire, edit and produce print information factsheets, news, sports, feature and photo news releases

•acquire, edit and produce audio and video news,sports and feature electronic news releases

•provide as many as three mixed print/AV teamsequipped for product acquisition

Additionally, MPADs in direct support can expandthe media escort capability of the supported PAO, aug-ment divisions and other elements in theater and pro-vide the PAO with staff augmentation.

In addition to the acquisition mission, direct sup-port MPADs may be deployed forward to establishmedia centers.

MPADs Augmenting a PAOCThe MPAD in support of a Public Affairs Opera-

tions Center provides manpower and equipment to es-tablish and operate a media center at Theater Army,TAACOM and Corps. They are media facilitation ori-ented, and when joining the PAOC, MPAD personnelcan expect to be assigned to a variety of positions withinthe media center structure.

Administration: Unit clerks may be assigned to aconsolidated administrative section.

Escort Section: Officers and senior NCOs shouldexpect escort duty even though assigned to other PAOCsections. Unit vehicles will augment PAOC organiccapability for escort purposed.

Briefing Section: Officers, NCOs and soldiersmay augment the briefing section. Audio/visual equip-ment and other briefing support equipment may be

BOD provides 24-hour-over-the-air radio broadcastcapability.

The PAOC forms the nucleus of a media supportcenter, and is responsible to the gaining command PAOand his commander for facilitating media coverage ofoperations. Facilitating media coverage includes guard-ing OPSEC, providing briefings and escorts, register-ing media, coordinating media visits to units, assist-ing in deploying media pools when required, and co-ordinating logistical support for the media center suchas communications, billeting, messing and transporta-tion.

The production/marketing section of the PAOCacts as a clearing house for electronic, print, still pho-tographic and audio-visual products from all sourcesassigned or attached to the gaining command PAO.The PAOC post production staff, depending on thelevel of operations, provides professional support (ed-iting, scripting, etc.) for all acquisition efforts; pro-vides quality control checks of products; coordinatesall command requirements for products (to include pro-viding photo, audio and video products to the media)and markets and moves products to the rear (CONUSor higher level JIB/media center) in support of reararea commanders with public information, commandinformation and community relations requirements.

Public Affairs Operations Center augmentation isdetermined by the mission, however a minimum oftwo MPADs should augment the PAOC, with addi-tional MPADs, and a BOD assigned as the operationalsituation expands.

The PAOC provides support to joint elements as-signed to Joint/Combined Information Centers. Simi-lar support and coordination occurs with Combat Cam-era, Hometown News Center and other military mediaelements. Augmenting MPADs may provide teams forfull unit replacements to the PAO when direct supportMPADs require personnel replacement or refit. PAOCand augmenting MPADs may provide a maintenance“float” for forward deployed direct support MPADs.

The PAOC commander may establish additionalsections and elements to meet special requirementssuch as operations, transportation, maintenance, ser-vice support and marketing.

Public Affairs Operations Centers are positionedin the U.S. Army Reserve and Army National Guard.

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assigned to the briefing section.Production/Marketing Section: All personnel

may be assigned to the production/marketing sectionto produce and market a variety of products in supportof the media, and in support of the PAO’s internal andexternal information efforts.

MPAD operational considerationsThe gaining PAO must clearly outline the missions

and responsibilities of MPADs in direct support as wellas those augmenting the Public Affairs OperationsCenter. MPADs must be prepared to deploy and es-tablish initial media operations centers . Public affairsteams from direct support MPADs must be carefullycontrolled to ensure maximum acquisition and produc-tion capability. They may be rotated on a regular basisto facilitate acquisition, production and refitting forfuture operations.

Final production of external information productsmay be accomplished by the PAOC production/mar-keting section. MPAD personnel must work closelywith the production/marketing section to ensure timely,quality products, appropriately cleared to OPSEC stan-dards.

When MPADs are organized and deployed as bri-gade-level teams, the MPAD commander operateswithin the division operations cell as the division PAOsrepresentative. MPAD commanders retain commandof their teams while they are under the operationalcontrol of the brigade.

Public affairs teams deployed forward to lower unitlevel should be mixed print (46Q) and electronic (46R)capable.

MPADs are positioned in the U.S. Army Reserve,Army National Guard, and active Army.

Broadcast Operations Detachment

Broadcast Operations Detachments provide per-sonnel and equipment to conduct 24-hour internal in-formation broadcast operations; limited ElectronicNews Gathering (ENG) capability in support ofAFRTS; and augment AFRTS or merge with other in-dependent facilities to form a theater of operationsnetwork.

BODs are assigned to the PAOC supporting theTheater Army, but operate with the senior theater PAOin one or more mission configurations.

BODs may obtain electronic products from PAOCsand MPADs, and provide produced electronic prod-ucts through the PAOC. BODs have no organic broad-cast capability, and must rely on in-theater, or ArmyBroadcast Service equipment.

Broadcast Operation Detachments are positionedin the U.S. Army Reserve.

Public Affairs DetachmentPublic Affairs Detachments are assigned to divi-

sions, separate brigades and armored cavalry regimentsto provide expanded public affairs capability to theirlimited organic PA staff. They provide direct publicaffairs support to units deployed in support of com-bined, unified or joint operations.

The focus of the PAD is primarily on print inter-nal information products. They have a limited exter-nal information, ENG acquisition and media escortcapability.

Public Affairs Detachments are positioned in theactive Army and U.S. Army Reserve.

Required Combat Support/Combat Service Support

Public affairs operations require significant com-bat support and service support from the supportingcommander.

PersonnelNon-public affairs soldiers may be trained to serve

as media escorts, conduct briefings, provide interviews,execute administrative and supply functions and as-sist with such additional tasks as driving and security.

TransportationPublic affairs elements have limited organic trans-

portation assets, intended to enable public affairs per-sonnel to move themselves and their equipment aboutthe area of operations. In many situations, these or-ganic assets will not be sufficient to support even thisbasic requirement. When media activity and public

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interest in an operation is high, this limited capabilitywill be quickly overwhelmed.

PA operations require additional dedicated trans-portation assets and will rely on transportation pro-vided by supported units. Additional ground transpor-tation requirements may be met by using leased com-mercial equipment, however, public affairs elementswill commonly require access to additional tacticalvehicles. Additionally, critical time-sensitive eventsrequiring a rapid PA response, especially when theyoccur in remote locations, will require air transporta-tion assets.

PA operations will frequently involve transport-ing journalists and their equipment. Although mediarepresentatives may have their own transportation as-sets, unit commanders may authorize travel in Armyvehicles. The Army goal of providing access to op-erations, units and personnel is best accomplished byproviding representatives with transportation or travelsupport. Providing transportation to media represen-tatives will usually be accomplished by the supportedunit. In other situations, PA operations will receivesupport from command transportation units.

Sustainment and other logistics supportPublic Affairs elements depend on the command

or unit they are supporting for logistics sustainment.Repairs beyond the operator level, fuel, finance, per-sonnel, chaplain, legal services, medical support, foodservice support, laundry, shower and other field ser-vice support, mail service, and general supply sup-port must be provided to Public Affairs elements.

Media representatives should make their own ar-rangements for sustainment and other logistical sup-port. In situations where media representatives areunable to make arrangements for such support, theArmy provides services on a space-available basis.Media can be expected to reimburse the governmentfor such services provided on an extended basis. Theprovision of services to media representatives, how-ever, will not be at the expense of soldiers or createconditions which are detrimental to mission accom-plishment.

Information architecture/communications support

Successful public affairs operations for an Armycommitted to information dominance mandates achange in how PAOs at all levels assess and satisfytheir information architecture requirements. PAOsmust understand the dynamics of information opera-tions, what information-related technical capabilitiesare required to accomplish public affairs missions athome and while deployed, and how to obtain the re-quired support .

Information processing and communications sup-port is obtained under the umbrella of command, con-trol, communications and computer (C4) systems sup-port. C4 systems support doctrine and operational man-agement is heavily influenced by joint commanders.Joint Pub 6-0 , Doctrine for Command, Control, Com-munications and Computer (C4) Systems Support toJoint Operations, specifies the joint doctrine for C4systems support for joint operations. Joint Pub 6-0states “the fundamental objective of C4 systems is toget the critical and relevant information to the rightplace in time to allow forces to seize on opportunityand meet the objectives across the range of militaryoperations.” PAOs must work closely with C4 systemssupport providers and have the technical proficiencyto adequately manage the support provided them. Fail-ure to do this will cause failure in the commander’spublic affairs program. Commanders must ensure thatcommunications providers and planners include pub-lic affairs requirements in the development of com-munications support packages.

Information types and processing“Raw” PA information must be processed. This

includes simple text files, graphic images and presen-tation briefings, still and motion video, digital and ana-log sound files. C4 planners and providers must pro-vide PAOs and public affairs units with sufficient in-formation processing capabilities to meet the uniquerequirements of operational public affairs.

Information transmissionPAOs must move their information and that of the

media, especially if the commander has been tasked toprovide communications support to accompanying

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

60

media. This requires the PAO to develop requirementsfor the supporting communications staff and units inspecific terms, to include the bandwidth needed to sup-port the various forms of PA information. The require-ment to transmit video, sound and graphic informationoften exceeds the capabilities of available systems.Commercial means may be required to supplementmilitary systems, to include leasing satellite commu-nications support in an area of operations. This type ofsupport requires close coordination in the earliest plan-ning stages. Providing access to and time on militarytransmission systems to civilian journalist’s, while per-mitted by policy, requires careful planning and devel-opment of protocols. Limiting a journalists access topreviously agreed communications support must neverbe used to delay or prevent the transmission of embar-rassing or unflattering information.

Basic communications supportPAOs must have tactical and strategic communi-

cations support sufficient to exercise command andcontrol of their PA assets and coordinate with all sup-ported units. Tactical vehicles must be equipped withtactical radios, and the mobile communications assetsrequired to access Army MSE networks. GPS supportis required for those elements moving about the battle-field. PAOs must have access to tactical internet sys-tems and at the appropriate levels, the tri-service the-ater-level network. In the early stages of deployment,or in areas with limited available communications sup-port, PAOs require INMARSAT or equivalent portablesatellite communications terminals. Communicationssystems to support coordination with joint and alliedpublic affairs operations must be available.

Special types of supportTo function in the global information environment,

PAOs need to access key portions of that environment.Technical means to receive commercial television cov-erage directly from broadcast satellites, access to theInternet and World Wide Web and similar capabili-ties, tailored to mission requirements, are required.!

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REFERENCES

Joint Publication (JP) 1-02, Department of Defense Dictionary of Military andAssociated Terms, 23 March 1994

FM 46-1, Public Affairs Operations, 23 July 1992

FM 71-100, Division Operations, August 1996

FM 90-29, Noncombatant Evacuation Operations, 17 October 1994

FM 100-5, Operations, 14 June 1993

FM 100-6, Information Operations, August 1996

FM 100-8, Multinational Operations, (Draft) 1996

FM 100-15 Corps Operations, October 1995

FM 100-19, Domestic Support Operations, 1 July 1993

FM 100-20, Stability and Support Operations (Final Draft) 1996

FM 100-23, Peace Operations, 30 December 1994

TRADOC PAM 525-5, Force XXI Operations, 1 August 1994

Army Regulation (AR) 200-1, Environmental Protection and Enhancement, 23 April 1990

AR 200-2, Environmental Effects of Army Actions, 23 December 1988

AR 360-5, Public Information, 31 May 1989

AR 360-7, Army Broadcasting Service

AR 360-61, Community Relations, 15 Jan 1987

AR 360-81, Command Information Program, 20 October 1989

Public Affairs Guidance on National Guard Bureau Environmental Programs,National Guard Bureau Office of Public Affairs, 1994

Commander’s Guide to Environmental Management,U.S. Army Environmental Center, 1995

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

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APPENDIX ADOD Principles of Information

It is the policy of the Department of Defense to make available timely and accurateinformation so that the public, Congress, and the news media may assess and understandthe facts about national security and defense strategy.

Request for information from organizations and private citizens will be answered ina timely manner: In carrying out this policy, the following principles of information willapply:

•Information will be made fully and readily available, consistentwith statutory requirements, unless its release is precluded by current andvalid security classification. The provisions of the Freedom of InformationAct will be supported in both letter and spirit.

•A free flow of general and military information will be madeavailable, without censorship or propaganda, to the men and women of theArmed Forces and their family members.

•Information will not be classified or otherwise withheld to protectthe government from criticism or embarrassment.

•Information will be withheld only when disclosure wouldadversely affect national security or threaten the safety or privacy of themen and women of the Armed Forces.

•The Department’s obligation to provide the public withinformation on its major programs may require detailed public affairsplanning and coordination within the Department and with othergovernment agencies. The sole purpose of such activity is to expedite theflow of information to the public: propaganda has no place in theDepartment of Defense public affairs programs

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APPENDIX B

The DoD Media Guidelines, issued as change 3 to DoD Directive 5122.5, provide thefollowing guidelines for coverage of DoD combat operations:

A. Open and independent reporting will be the principal means of coverage of U.S.military operations.

B. Pools are not to serve as the standard means of covering U.S. military operations.But pools may sometimes provide the only feasible means of early access to a militaryoperation. Pools should be as large as possible and disbanded at the earliest opportunity—within 24 to 36 hours when possible. The arrival of early access pools will not cancel theprinciple of independent coverage for journalists already in the area.

C. Even under conditions of open coverage, pools may be appropriate for specificevents, such as those at extremely remote locations or where space is limited.

D. Journalists in a combat zone receive credentials from the U.S. military and will berequired to abide by a clear set of military security ground rules that protect U.S. forces andtheir operations. Violation of the ground rules can result in suspension of credentials andexpulsion from the combat zone of the journalists involved. News organizations will maketheir best efforts to assign experienced journalists to combat operations and then makethem familiar with U.S. military operations.

E. Journalists will be provided access to all major military units. Special operationsrestriction may limit access in some cases.

F. Military public affairs officers should act as liaisons but should not interfere withthe reporting process.

G. Under conditions of open coverage, field commanders will permit journalists toride on military vehicles and aircraft whenever feasible. The military will be responsiblefor the transportation of pools.

Guidelines for Coverage of DoD Combat Operations

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

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APPENDIX CSAMPLE PUBLIC AFFAIRS ANNEX ____

Classification

Copy ___ of___ copies

Issuing headquarters Place of issue Date-time group of signature Message reference No._____

ANNEX ____ PUBLIC AFFAIRS ANNEX TO OPLAN _____

References: Maps, charts, regulations and other relevant documents.Time zone used throughout order.

1. SITUATIONA brief general description of the situation, information affecting public affairs support

which paragraph 1 of the OPLAN does not cover and intended purpose of this annex. a. Friendly forces Outline the higher headquarters’ plan (and PA annex) and adjacent

unit PA plans. Provide information on friendly coalition forces which may impact the PAmission. Note PA resources supporting the unit.

b. Attachments and detachments. Identify all augmenting PA units supporting thiscommand and all attached/assigned subordinate units. Include effective dates, if applicable.

c. Enemy forces. List information on the threat force, its relationship to the PA mis-sion and any information not included in the OPLAN/OPORD which may impact the PAmission.

d. Assumptions. List any additional assumptions or information not included in thegeneral situation which will impact the PA mission.

2. MISSIONA clear and concise statement of the public affairs mission.

3. EXECUTIONGive a summary of the overall course of action intended.

a. Concept of the operation. Briefly summarize the public affairs operation plan.Include PA priorities.

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b. Public Affairs tasks. Identify and assign supporting PA tasks to each element ofsubordinate and supporting units. Assign specific tasks to elements of the command chargedwith public affairs tasks, such as requirements for PA augmentation.

c. Coordinating instructions. Give details on coordination, task organization and group-ings. List instructions which apply to two or more subordinate elements or units.

4. SERVICE SUPPORTa. Administration . A statement of the administrative arrangements applicable to this

operation. If they are lengthy or are not ready for inclusion in the OPLAN, theses arrange-ments may be issued separately and referenced here.

b. Logistics. A statement of the logistical arrangements applicable to this operation.Specific coordination should be included if possible, but arrangements may be issued sepa-rately and referenced there, if they are too lengthy.

5. COMMAND AND SIGNALList signal, visual imaging and satellite communications policies, headquarters and mediacenter locations or movements, code words, code names and liaison elements.

ACKNOWLEDGE.

NAME (Commander’s last name) RANK (Commander’s rank)

OFFICIAL:

APPENDIXES:

DISTRIBUTION

Classification

NOTE: For Public Affairs Annex development, see JointPub 5-03.2, Joint Operations Planning and ExecutionSystem, Vol. II, Supplemental Planning Guidance andFormats

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

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APPENDIX D

EXAMPLE - PUBLIC AFFAIRS ESTIMATE

Classification

HeadquartersPlace of IssueDate, Time and Time ZoneMessage Ref. No.PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS ESTIMATE NO. ______

REFERENCES: Maps, charts or other documents, including all current public affairs guidance(PAG) from OATSD (PA).

Time zone used throughout the estimate:

1. MISSION

The command’s restated mission from a public affairs perspective.

2. SITUATION AND CONSIDERATIONS

This paragraph describes the strategic and operational media environment in which the operationis being conducted and identifies the critical factors that might impact on the command’s mission—the “action and reaction” within global media channels. It identifies the media environment acrossthe operational continuum, describing it from “austere” for low media interest and capability in alimited AOR communications infrastructure to “dynamic” for high media interest and capability in ahigh-tech AOR infrastructure. At minimum, this paragraph must include:

a. Information environment. An assessment of the characteristics of the operation and infor-mation environment in the area of operations. It identifies any activities or issues affecting the over-all mission and the command’s public affairs objectives.

b. Media presence. An assessment of the news media presence in the theater of operations priorto deployment and the likely presence of additional news media during the conduct of operations.This also includes an assessment of the authority under which the media are operating and theirdegree of access to the area of operations.

c. Media capabilities. An assessment of the media’s information collection and communica-tions technology, specifically identifying the extent of visual information acquisition and satellitecommunications capabilities. It includes an analysis of the logistics support, transportation assets,and host nation communications infrastructure available to them.

d. Media content. An assessment of the global media organizations’ presentation of informa-tion and their agendas, and an analysis and prioritization of the potential strategic and operationalissues confronting the command in the news media. This media content analysis evaluates the quan-tity of coverage and the nature of that coverage.

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e. Public opinion. Assessment of the national and international attitudes about the operation and thecommand, the leaders and the soldiers conducting it. This paragraph should include both the perceptionsheld by major audience groups and the relative solidity or strength of those attitudes. A public opinionanalysis should include as a minimum an analysis of the following groups:

—American public—Civilian political leaders—Coalition and allied forces—Coalition and allied publics—International audience—Internal command audience—Home station public

f. Information channel availability. An assessment of the information channels available for thecommunication of information in and out of the AOR. It identifies the means available to the commanderfor receipt, transmission, and dissemination of digital and analog voice, data, text, graphics and visualimages. It describes command, coalition and local national facilities and equipment available, includingan analysis of available telephone lines for voice and data transmission, the accessibility of audio andvideo channels, the prevalence of private communications devices, such as soldier and civilian ownedcellular telephones, fax machines, computers, portable radios and television, still and video cameras, andthe nature and flow of the information possible through these channels.

g. Information needs. This is an assessment of the information needs of the previously identified keypublics. It analyzes key internal and external audiences and assesses their news and information expecta-tions. It identifies the types of information that will be made available to these key audiences.

h. Personnel situation. Describes the present dispositions of public affairs personnel and units thataffect the PA mission as well as the assets needed and available.

i. Public affairs situation. A summary of current public affairs objectives and identification ofspecific courses of action for each objective. At high levels of command, the paragraph provides a detailedsummary of information with a reference to an annex in the estimate. Subparagraphs will include allcurrent public affairs guidance (PAG) from OSD(PA).

j. Assumptions. Until specific planning guidance from the commander becomes available, assump-tions may be needed for initiating planning or preparing the estimate. These assumptions will be modifiedas factual data or planning guidance becomes available.

3. ANALYSIS AND COMPARISON OF COURSES OF ACTION

Analysis of each course of action based on the public affairs objectives in paragraph 2i. Includesproblems and deficiencies, advantages and disadvantages of each course or action and methods of over-coming them. At a minimum, subparagraphs should include media facilitation and support, informationstrategies, and force training and support.

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4. CONCLUSIONS

a. Indication of ability to support the command mission (restated in paragraph 1) from the public affairsviewpoint.

b. Indication of which COA can be best supported

c. Lists major public affairs deficiencies which the commander must consider. Includes specific recom-mendations concerning the methods of eliminating or reducing the effects of these deficiencies.

_____________________________(Public Affairs Officer)

ANNEXES:

A - Copy PointsB - Questions and Answers

Copy points are short statements that serve to explain the operation and that support core messages andwould be used as often as possible during the course of interviews with core media. Questions and answerslikewise prepare potential interviewees to respond positively and quickly to questions, both easy and hard,that core media are likely to ask. Both copy points and questions and answers should be developed concur-rently with the PA estimate and updated and expanded continually throughout the planning process.

Classification

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APPENDIX E Media Ground Rules Example

Operation Desert Storm Ground Rules

The following information should not be reported because its publication or broadcast could jeopardize op-erations and endanger lives:

(1) For U.S. or coalition units, specific numerical information on troop strength, aircraft, weapons systems,on-hand equipment or supplies (e.g. artillery, tanks, radars, missiles, trucks, water), including amounts of ammu-nition or fuel moved by support units or on hand in combat units. Unit size may be described in general terms suchas "company-size, multi-battalion, multi-division, naval task force and carrier battle group." Number and amountof equipment and supplies may be described in general terms such as "large, small, or many."

(2) Any information that reveals details of future plans, operations or strikes, including postponed or can-celled operations.

(3) Information, photography and imagery that would reveal the specific location of military forces or showthe level of security at military installations or encampments. Locations may be described as follows: all Navyembark stories can identify the ship upon which embarked as a dateline and will state that this report is coming"from the Persian Gulf, Red Sea or North Arabian Sea." Stories written in Saudi Arabia may be datelined "EasternSaudi Arabia, near the Kuwaiti border, " etc. For specific countries outside Saudi Arabia, stories will state that thereport is coming from the Persian Gulf region unless that country has acknowledged its participation.

(4) Rules of engagement details.

(5) Information on intelligence collection activities, including targets, methods and results.

(6) During an operation, specific information on friendly force troop movements, tactical deployments anddispositions that would jeopardize operational security and lives. This would include unit designations, names oroperations and size of friendly forces involved until released by CENTCOM.

(7) Identification of mission aircraft points of origin, other than as land or carrier based.

(8) Information on the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of enemy camouflage, cover, deception, targeting,direct and indirect fire, intelligence collection or security measures.

(9) Specific identifying information on missing or downed aircraft or ships while search and rescue opera-tions are planned or underway.

(10) Special operations forces methods, unique equipment or tactics.

(11) Specific operating methods and tactics, (e.g. air ops angles of attack or speeds, naval tactics and evasivemaneuvers). General terms such as "low" or "fast" may be used.

(12) Information on operational or support vulnerabilities that could be used against U.S. forces, such asdetails of major battle damage or major personnel losses of specific U.S. or coalition units, until that informa-tion no longer provides tactical advantage to the enemy and is, therefore, released by CENTCOM. Damage andcasualties may be described as "light", "moderate", or "heavy."

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS

C2protect—command and control-protect—see command and control warfare

C2W—command and control warfare

command and control warfare—The integrated use of operations security (OPSEC), military deception,psychological operations (PSYOP), electronic warfare (EW), and physical destruction, mutually supportedby intelligence, to deny information to, influence, degrade, or destroy adversary command and control capa-bilities, while protecting friendly command and control capabilities against such actions. Command andcontrol warfare applies across the operational continuum and all levels of conflict. Also called C2W. C2W isboth offensive and defensive: a. counter-C2—To prevent effective C2 of adversary forces by denying infor-mation to, influencing, degrading, or destroying the adversary C2 system. b. C2-protection—To maintaineffective command and control of own forces by turning to friendly advantage or negating adversary effortsto deny information to, influence, degrade, or destroy the friendly C2 system.

civil affairs —the activities of a commander that establish, maintain, influence, or exploit relations betweenmilitary forces and civil authorities, both governmental and nongovernmental, and the civilian populace in afriendly, neutral, or hostile area of operations in order to facilitate military operations and consolidate opera-tional objectives. Civil affairs activities (1) embrace the relationship between military forces and civil au-thorities and population in areas where military forces are present; and (2) involve application of civil affairsfunctional specialty skills, in areas normally the responsibility of civilian government, which enhance con-duct of civil-military operations. These activities may occur prior to, during, or subsequent to other militaryactions. They may also occur, if directed, in the absence of other military operations.

combined operation— an operation conducted by forces of two or more allied nations acting together for theaccomplishment of a single mission.

command information—see internal information

community relations— establishing and maintaining effective relationships between military and civiliancommunities through planning and active participation in events and processes which provide benefits toboth communities.

community relations program—that command function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies themission of a military organization with the public interest, and executes a program of action to earn publicunderstanding and acceptance. Community relations programs are conducted at all levels of command, bothin the United States and overseas, by military organizations having a community relations area of responsi-bility. Community relations programs include, but are not limited to, such activities as liaison and coopera-tion with associations and organizations and their local affiliates at all levels; armed forces participation ininternational, national, regional, state, and local public events; installation open houses and tours; embarka-tions in naval ships; orientation tours for distinguished civilians; people-to-people and humanitarian acts;cooperation with government officials and community leaders; and encouragement of armed forces person-nel and their dependents to participate in activities of local schools, churches, fraternal, social, and civicorganizations, sports, and recreation programs, and other aspects of community life to the extent feasible andappropriate, regardless of where they are located.

GIE—global information environment

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global information environment—all individuals, organizations, or systems, most of which are outside thecontrol of the military or National Command Authorities, that collect, process, and disseminate information tonational and international audiences.

ground rules—conditions established by a military command to govern the conduct of news gathering and therelease and/or use of specified information during an operation or during a specific period of time.

information architecture—Description and specifications of information systems to include identification ofcommunicators, information transmitted, equipment specifications and network designs. Includes operational,system and technical architectures.

information operations—continuous military operations within the military information environment thatenable, enhance, and protect the friendly force’s ability to collect, process, and act on information to achievean advantage across the full range of military operations; information operations include interacting with theglobal information environment and exploiting or denying an adversary’s information and decision capabili-ties.

information strategy—a synchronized plan for using all available and appropriate methods of communica-tion to achieve specific goals of informing target audiences.

internal information —communication by a military organization with service members, civilian employeesand family members of the organization that creates an awareness of the organization’s goals, informs them ofsignificant developments affecting them and the organization, increases their effectiveness as ambassadors ofthe organization, and satisfies their desire to be kept informed about what is going on in the organization andoperation (also known as command information).

JIB—joint information bureau

joint information bureau —facilities established by the joint force commander to serve as the focal point forthe interface between the military and the media during the conduct of joint operations. When operated insupport of multinational operations, a joint information bureau is called a Combined Information Bureau or anAllied Press Information Center.

joint force—a general term applied to a force composed of significant elements, assigned or attached, of twoor more Military Departments, operating under a single joint force commander.

joint operations—a general term to describe military actions conducted by joint forces, or by Service forcesin relationships (e.g., support, coordinating authority), which, of themselves, do not create joint forces.

joint task force—a joint force that is constituted and so designated by the Secretary of Defense, a combatantcommander, a subunified commander, or an existing joint task force commander. Also called JTF.

media facilitation—the range of activities such as providing access and interviews that assist news mediarepresentatives covering military operations.

media operations center—facility that serves as the focal point for the interface between the military and themedia covering an event or operation.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

72

media pool—a limited number of news media who represent a larger number of news media organizations fornews gathering and sharing of material during a specified activity. Pooling is typically used when news mediasupport resources cannot accommodate a large number of journalists. The DoD National Media Pool is avail-able for coverage of the earliest stages of a contingency. Additionally, the combatant commanders may alsofind it necessary to form limited local pools to report on specific missions.

MIE —military information environment

military information environment —the environment contained within the global information environment,consisting of the information systems and organizations—friendly and adversary, military and nonmilitary—that support, enable, or significantly influence a specific military operation

multinational operations—a collective term to describe military actions conducted by forces of two or morenations, typically organized within the structure of a coalition or alliance.

news media representative—an individual employed by a civilian radio or television station, newspaper,newsmagazine, periodical, or news agency to gather information and report on a newsworthy event.

NGO—nongovernmental organization

nongovernmental organizations—transnational organizations of private citizens that maintain a consultativestatus with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Nongovernmental organizations may beprofessional associations, foundations, multinational businesses, or simply groups with a common interest inhumanitarian assistance activities (development and relief). “Nongovernmental organizations” is a term nor-mally used by non-United States organizations. Also called NGO. See also private voluntary organizations.

private voluntary organizations—private, nonprofit humanitarian assistance organizations involved in devel-opment and relief activities. Private voluntary organizations are normally United States-based. “Private volun-tary organization” is often used synonymously with the term “nongovernmental organization.” Also calledPVO. See also nongovernmental organizations.

PAG—public affairs guidance

public affairs guidance—normally, a package of information to support the public discussion of defense is-sues and operations. Such guidance can range from a telephonic response to a specific question to a morecomprehensive package. Included could be an approved public affairs policy, news statements, answers toanticipated media questions, and community relations guidance. Public affairs guidance also addresses themethod(s), timing, location and other details governing the release of information to the public.

public affairs assessment—an analysis of the news media and public environments to evaluate the degree ofunderstanding about strategic and operations objectives and military activities and to identify levels of publicsupport. Includes judgments about the public affairs impact of pending decisions and recommendations aboutthe structure of public affairs support for the assigned mission.

public affairs estimate—as assessment of a specific mission from a public affairs perspective.

public information-- A general term describing processes used to provide information to external audiencesthrough public media.

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psychological operations— operations to convey selected information and indicators to foreign audiences toinfluence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of foreign governments,organizations, groups, and individuals. The purpose of psychological operations is to induce or reinforceforeign attitudes and behavior favorable to the originator’s objectives. Also called PSYOP.

PSYOP—psychological operations

sustaining base—the home station or permanent location of active duty units and Reserve Component units(e.g., location of armory or reserve center) that provides personnel, logistic and other support required tomaintain and prolong operations or combat.

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force projection 9, 33

foreign national employees 45

GGlobal Information Environment

7, 10, 15-18

ground rules 17, 24-25, 69, 71

HHometown News Service 48, 53

humanitarian assistance 35, 40, 72

IInformation Age 31

information strategies 13, 16, 41

Information Operations 10, 12, 13,

15, 18

internal audiences 14, 15, 17, 18

JJoint Chiefs of Staff 56

Joint Combat Camera 54

Joint Information Bureau 12, 36, 46

joint operations 36

joint information bureau (JIB) 36, 42,

57

Aacquisition 5, 23, 57-58, 66

Allied Press Information Center 36,

56, 71

alert notification 33

American Forces Information Service

54

anti-terrorism 43

Armed Forces Radio Television

Service (AFRTS) 54

Army Broadcasting Service 54

Army Field Band 46

Army National Guard 9, 15, 43, 46, 58

Army Reserve Command 54

Army Reserve Magazine 53

Bbriefings 24-26,38, 57-59

briefing section 57-58

brigade public affairs section 52

Broadcast Op Detachment (BOD) 48

AFRTS relationship 58

augmenting PAOC 48

basis of allocation 48

capabilities 48

employment 58

mission 48

Ccapabilities

BPAD 48

brigade PA section 52

corps PA section 50

COSCOM PA section 51

division PA section 51

MPAD 47

PAD 48

PAOC 46

TAACOM PA section 49

Theater Army PA section 49

Chief, Public Affairs 46, 53-54

civilians, Army 45

civil affairs 11-13, 40

CMF 46 45

command information 15, 43, 55, 57

combat camera 54

combat power 16-17, 31-32

combat support/service support 58

Combined Information Bureau 36, 71

commanders and public affairs 13

community relations 20, 23, 26, 36, 70

communications support 59

core processes 20

command and control

warfare 11-12

Corps PA sections 50

Corps Support Command 50

credibility 13, 18

crisis management 27, 38

DDefense Information School 45, 54

disaster relief 40, 43

division public affairs section 51

DoD Media Pool 63

DoD Media Guidelines 63

DoD Principles of Information 17, 62

domestic support 43

DTLOMS 46

Eelectronic news gathering 58

embedded PA sections 46, 49, 51

embedding the media 24

employment of PA units 56

entry operations 33-34

escort section 57

estimate, public affairs 66

external audiences 17, 18

Ffamily support 38

functional area 46 45

Index

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Llegitimacy 45

logistical support 57, 59

Mmaximum disclosure 18, 44

media 14

analysis 10, 21, 24, 66

capabilities 10, 21, 24, 66

center 15, 24, 46, 57, 65

operations centers 15, 26, 57-58

pool 63

travel 59

military information environment 10, 16

Military Intelligence 21

misinformation 18

Mobile PA Detachment(MPAD) 36, 43

augmenting PAOC 46, 56

basis of allocation 47

capabilities 47

direct support 47

employment 57

mission 47, 57

mobilization 33, 34

multinational operations 35

N

National Command Authority 10, 17

national goals 31

national security objectives 29

noncombatant evacuation operations

42

Nongovernment organizations 9, 13,

35, 36

OOffice of the Chief of Public Affairs 45

operational level public affairs 29

operational security (OPSEC) 19, 24,

28, 30, 33, 38, 43, 44, 69

Ppeace operations 40

planning 20, 29, 30, 41

propaganda (see misinformation)

principles of public affairs 17

psychological operations (PSYOPS)

12, 13, 40

Public Affairs Detachment (PAD) 48,

58

Public Affairs Estimate 20, 22, 26

Public Affairs Guidance 20, 22, 26

PA Operations Center (PAOC) 36, 43,

46, 50, 56, 58

public information 15, 20, 57

public opinion 12-13, 17, 22, 29, 32,

67

RRegional Support Command 53

registration 56

SSoldiers Magazine 53

Soldiers Online 53

Soldiers Radio and Television 53

strategic level public affairs 29

sustaining base operations 37

TTAACOM 49

TDA public affairs units 53

tactical level public affairs 30

Theater Army 49

Title 10, U.S. Code 8

TOE organizations 46

training 25

UU.S. Army Reserve 54

!

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS

76

FM 46-1

FM 46-130 MAY 1997

By Order of the Secretary of the Army:

DENNIS J. REIMERGeneral, United States Army

Chief of StaffOfficial:

JOEL B. HUDSONAdministrative Assistant to the

Secretary of the Army

DISTRIBUTION:

Active Army, Army National Guard, and U. S. Army Reserve: To be distributed inaccordance with initial distribution number 113874, requirements for FM 46-1.

03438

PIN: 059738-000