Document text
Field Manual
FM 46-1
Headquarters
Department of the Army
Washington, DC, 30 May 1997
Public Affairs Operations
Contents
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
DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
* This publication supersedes FM 46-1, 23 July 1992.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
Chapters STABILITY AND SUPPORT OPERATIONS 40
Support to Diplomacy 41
Noncombatant Evacuations 42
Domestic Support 42
Chapter6 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
2
FM 46-1
The PA Mission
Public Affairs fulfills the Army’s obligation to keep the American people and the
Army informed, and helps to establish the conditions that lead to confidence in
America ’s Army and its readiness to conduct operations in peacetime, conflict and
war.
3
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
FM 46-1
Preface
F ield Manual 46- 1 is the keystone doctrinal manual
for U.S. Army Public Affairs operations. It focuses
on how the Army thinks about public affairs and de-
scribes public affairs roles, missions, capabilities and
organizations for the active Army, U.S. Army Reserve
and Army National Guard. It also describes public af-
fairs employment, command and control, and support
across the operational continuum.
This manual is the basis for Public Affairs force
design and materiel acquisition. It supports the doctri-
nal requirements of the Concept Based Requirements
System and is the authoritative foundation for the in-
tegration of
Public Affairs
into Army doc-
trine, individual
and unit train-
ing, leader de-
velopment,
force design
and materiel ac-
quisition initia-
tives. FM 46-1
is directly
linked to, and must be used in conjunction with FM
100-5, FM 100-6, TRADOC PAM 525-5 and Joint
Publication 1-07.
FM 46-1 is the doctrinal guide for commanders,
planners, and users of Army Public Affairs. It is also a
guide for those who must consider the effects public
affairs 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, political
leaders, 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. Public
Affairs commanders and trainers should use this manual
and Army Training and Evaluation Programs (ARTEP)
to plan and conduct their training.
Numerous terms, acronyms, and abbreviations are
found in the manual. Users should refer to the glossary
for their meanings or definitions.
This manual aligns public affairs operations with
the 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 for
ease of reading. Whenever the masculine or feminine
gender is used, either gender is intended. The term
“PAO” refers to public affairs officers, NCOs and ci-
vilian and military specialists. ^
Our vision is to build a trained \ readily
deployable force of Public Affairs professionals,
resourced, capable and organized to conduct
operations in peace, conflict and war, and to
maintain a timely flow of accurate, balanced
information to the American people.
5
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
Introduction
T he mission of the United States Army is to protect
and defend the Constitution of the United States
of America by deterring war, and when deterrence fails,
by achieving quick, decisive victory - on and off the
battlefield - anywhere in the world and under virtu-
ally any conditions. Army Public Affairs is an inte-
gral part of all military missions across the operational
continuum. Everything that the Army does to accom-
plish its mission - both good and bad - occurs within
today’s Global Information Environment. Army Pub-
lic Affairs assists the commander in understanding and
operating in this new environment. Whether in peace,
conflict, or war, military operations are more effec-
tive when they include public affairs support from the
very beginning. They support the commander’s effort
to meet the information needs and expectations of in-
ternal and external audiences without detriment to suc-
cessful mission accomplishment.
The end of the Cold War, changing international
alliances and dynamics, and ambiguous regional threats
have led America’s Army to expand its war fighting
doctrine. FM 100-5, Operations, describes a strategic
force-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 conduct
joint, multinational or interagency operations anywhere
in the world. It presents concepts for warfighting and
conducting stability and support operations, such as
humanitarian, domestic and peace operations.
FM 100-5 also addresses the impact that emerg-
ing technologies
and the evolving
media environ-
ment are having
on operations. It
acknowledges the
importance of
communicating
information to in-
ternal and external
audiences and also
recognizes that fu-
ture operations
will attract wide
media attention. It
reflects an understanding that coverage will influence
the public and political leaders, and can affect the stra-
tegic direction, range and duration of operations. It
implies that information communication technologies
have an impact on the conduct of operations equal to
that of emerging weapons technologies.
"Every senior leader must personally
set the example by taking a proactive
rather than reactive approach to
dealing with the media."
General Dennis J. Reimer
U.S. Army Chief of Staff
6
The requirement for the Army to conduct Public
Affairs derives from Title 10, U.S. Code which states
that 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 the
people and for the people are the concepts that the
people have a right to know about the activities of
the government, and the government has an obliga-
tion to inform the people about its activities. These
principles 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 United
States.” One of the most significant conduits through
which information is passed to the people is the free
press guaranteed by the Constitution. Since the
nation’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 battle
command, and an essential part of successful mis-
sion accomplishment. When employed to maximum
effect. Army Public Affairs helps the commander
achieve information dominance and conduct coordi-
nated information operations, and also contributes to
the preservation of public support. Active and reserve
component soldiers, whether deployed or not, their
family 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 Public
Affairs contributes to ethical behavior, respect for the
law of war and the rights of noncombatants. Army
Public Affairs fights rumors, misinformation, bore-
dom, enemy disinformation efforts, uncertainty, fear,
loneliness, confusion and other factors that cause
stress and undermine efficient operations. Army
PAOs develop a synchronized public affairs program
as a part of their commanders’ effort to build unit
cohesion and enhance soldier confidence. Army Pub-
lic Affairs helps increase understanding, dedication,
discipline and the will to win. ^
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
8
FM 46-1
Chapter 1
Public Affairs
Environment
W e live in a turbulent world of broad social and
political 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 operate
in a dramatically restructured military and in a rapidly
changing media environment.
America’s Army
America’s Army has undergone a significant trans-
formation in recent years. It has become a strategic
force-projection Army prepared to fulfill its obliga-
tions across a continuum of military operations. It is
continuously evolving to maintain its capability in a
changing environment.
America’s Army is a smaller, more efficient force,
and places a heavy reliance on the U.S. Army Reserve
and Army National Guard. The Army has reduced its
force structure and realigned programs and responsi-
bilities to achieve operating efficiencies. It has devel-
oped new force design concepts such as modularity
and split-based operations.
As a force-projection organization, it is able to alert,
mobilize, and deploy rapidly anywhere in the world from
CONUS and forward presence theaters. Force projec-
tion is a key element of power projection. It is a central
element of our national security and military strategy
and presupposes the ability to apply all or some of the
elements of national power to act in a crisis, contribute
to deterrence, and enhance regional stability.
America’s Army will conduct joint, multinational
or interagency operations, and does not operate alone.
Units work in coordination with elements from the
other services, as well as military forces from other
nations, 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 and
combat service support functions.
To give soldiers an edge, America’s Army exploits
major 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 and
offers a capability that presents an adversary with mul-
tiple threats simultaneously. Microprocessing, minia-
turization, automation, electronics, communications
and space technologies are continually changing the
way and pace at which operations are conducted.
America’s Army, in addition to being prepared for
war, will increasingly be called upon to conduct sta-
bility and support operations. Although the Army’s
prime focus is war fighting, it is often involved in a
wide 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 of
war is the principal role for which the Army prepares.
During peacetime, however, the Army helps keep the
day-to-day tensions between nations below the thresh-
old of conflict. When peacetime efforts are thwarted
and adversaries seek to provoke a crisis or initiate hos-
tilities, conflict occurs. In such an environment, the
9
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
Army may be required to conduct operations to deter
enemy actions or compel compliance and resolve con-
flict.
The Information
Environment
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 or
systems, most of which are outside the control of the
military or National Command Authorities, that col-
lect, process and disseminate information to national
and 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 technologies
on the conduct of operations is equal to that of emerg-
ing weapons technologies. Continuously evolving col-
lection and dissemination capabilities have radically
altered the dynamics of the news and information con-
sumer market.
The emerging electronic information communica-
tion technologies, the proliferation of commercial sat-
ellite technology and the expansion of international
satellite alliances have resulted in the spread of world-
wide communications. Coverage can be instantaneous
with audiences throughout the world — the American
public, allies and adversaries — receiving and react-
ing to the coverage even as the National Command
Authority is deciding on appropriate responses, or as
deployments are taking place.
Because the public is able to receive greater quan-
tities of information through proliferating outlets, the
demand for information has increased dramatically.
The need to fill more channels of communication leads
to wider, more frequent coverage and media competi-
tion to find and tell unique stories. It results in more
analysis, critique and editorial commentary about
events occurring in an area of operations, the impact
of those events, and people’s reactions to those events.
Military operations have become spectator events
watched in real time by the American public, allies
and adversaries — indeed by the whole world.
Information Operations
Effective operations in both the GIE and MIE re-
quire coordinated information operations. Addressed
“in an age of instant communications, ca-
pabilities available to the media have had
increasingly important impacts on military
operations. ”
Telecommunications
equipment has rapidly be-
come more sophisticated
and more widely avail-
able. Continuously ex-
panding capabilities in in-
creasingly smaller, more
mobile packages enables
ever greater numbers of
independent media representatives to be present
throughout an area of operations from the start of, if
not before an operation.
Ever smaller, more portable, more affordable and
powerful radios, televisions, telephones, computers, fax
machines and other communication devices also fa-
cilitate the consumer’s access to information. Audi-
ences throughout the world — including our deployed
forces and actual or potential adversaries — are able
to receive a wider range of information from a vastly
expanded spectrum of sources.
- FM 100-5 Operations
at length in FM 100-6, they are in their simplest form
“the activities that gain information and knowledge
and improve friendly execution of operations while de-
nying an adversary similar capabilities by whatever
possible 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-
10
FM 46-1
Information Operations Unity of Effort
C2W
CIVIL AFFAIRS
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
COMMAND
AND
CONTROL
WARFARE
(C2W)
supports by:
•Influencing/informing
populace of CA activities
and support
•Neutralizing
disinformation and hostile
propaganda directed
against civil authorities
•Controlling EMS for
legitimate communica-
tions purposes.
•Conducting counter-
propaganda and protect-
ing from misinformation
and rumor
•Developing EEFI to
preclude inadvertent
public disclosure
•Sychnronizing PSYOP
and OPSEC with PA
strategy
CIVIL
AFFAIRS
supports by:
•Providing information to
support information
infrastructure picture
•Synchronizing
communications media
and messages with
PSYOP
•Providing information
on CMOC activities to
support PA strategy
•Synchronizing
information, communi-
cations media and
messages.
•Coordinating C2 target
sets with target cell
•Establishing and main-
taining liaison and
dialogue with local
civilians, NGOs and
PVOs
•Identifying and
integrating media and
public information
from host nation
sources
PUBLIC
AFFAIRS
supports by:
•Developing information
products to protect
soldiers against the
effects of disinformation
or misinformation.
•Coordinating with
PSYOP planners to
ensure consistent mes-
sages and maintenance
of OPSEC
•Providing accurate,
timely and balanced
information to the
public.
•Coordinating with CA
to verify facts and
validity of information
11
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
terns and capabilities to achieve an operational advan- mission, Civil Affairs, PSYOP, the task force PAO,
tage in a conflict, or to control the situation in opera- and the Joint Information Bureau. The council met
tions short of war, while denying those capabilities to regularly to identify issues that could have either posi-
the adversary.” tive or negative impacts on operations and then devel-
oped appropriate information strategies.
Public affairs operations are one element of a larger
information strategy encompassing command and con- The Task Force Eagle information operations pro-
trol warfare (C2W), Civil Affairs and Public Affairs, cess consisted of eight steps —
Command and control warfare is both offensive and • identifying the issue ,
defensive. The goal of “C2-attack” is to control or de- •determining if the issue was a problem or an
stroy the adversary C2 capability. The goal of “C2- opportunity,
protect” is to maintain friendly C2 capability by coun- •defining audiences,
tering adversary efforts to influence, degrade or de- •defining target result
stroy it. C2-protect includes measures to counter ad- •evaluating resources and choosing methods and
versary propaganda and its effects on operations, op- actions,
tions, public opinion, and the morale of friendly sol- •coordinating actions and synchronizing messages,
diers. Public affairs operations support C2-protect by •implementing actions, and
•evaluating the success
" Commanders need to understand
that the perception of America ’s Army
and how it conducts its
operations can be as important to the
An illustration of the process
is the IOC response to a specific
event it identified as potentially
having a negative impact on the
IFOR mission:
Army's success as actual combat ”
“A Bosnian radio station re-
facilitating open reporting and access to units and by
maintaining robust internal information programs.
Effective information operations require careful
synchronization of many staff elements. FM 100-6
Information Operations describes the formation of 10
battle staffs and addresses IO in depth.
Formal, dedicated information operations councils
have proven very effective in recent stability and sup-
port operations. An information operations coordina-
tion committee met weekly during Operation Uphold
Democracy in Haiti to share information and coordi-
nate the activities of the committee members. The
IOCC 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. The
council was chaired by the operation PAO and staffed
by representatives of G-2, G-3, Joint Military Com-
ported that Russian soldiers
were going into villages in areas of transfer and telling
Moslems that they must leave before the Serbs moved
in. The council met and developed a course of action
that 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 tape
to local radio stations telling people that the Russians
wanted them to stay in their homes.” (TF Eagle Les-
sons Learned )
The IOC also produced “Weekly Messages for
Commanders” that included public affairs guidance and
talking points for commanders and other members of
the 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 the
brigade commander. One brigade commander directed
that the messages be issued as fragmentary orders down
to companies.
Participation in information operations integrates
public affairs into operations planning at all levels and
12
FM 46-1
across the full spectrum of operations. The PA repre-
sentative to the 10 battle staff —
•represents PA concerns in 10
•identifies, assesses, and advises the commander
on information and issues with PA implications
•reviews strategic and operational information
with PA implications such as even ts, missions and pro-
paganda
•coordinates with CA and PSYOP representatives
to 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 and
accomplish men ts
Effective information operations require the early
coordination and synchronization of PA. CA and
PSYOP. Each may use the same communications me-
dia to communicate essentially the same messages to
different audiences. While CA and PSYOP address
local populations and adversary forces, PA operations
are directed toward U.S. forces and U.S. and interna-
tional media. The target audiences may differ, but the
consistency of messages is important to credibility.
With the expanding role of public affairs and in-
formation operations, it remains important to preserve
the separation of PA and PS Y OP in order to maintain
the credibility of public affairs spokespersons and prod-
ucts. Although coordination of PA and PSYOP occurs
in the 10 cell, the public affairs representative to the
cell should not be the primary command or operation
spokesperson.
Information Operations planning and operations
are beneficial in peacetime, conflict and war. The com-
position of the 10 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 10 cell may
include intelligence, signal, fire support, PA, CA, EW,
OPSEC, PSYOP and logistics.
Postconflict operations also benefit from coordi-
nated 10. PSYOP and CA may be needed to enhance
support of local populations. Information about the
Army 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 information
strategies developed to counter misinformation and
propaganda communicated in the GIE.
In stability and support operations, the 10 plan-
ners may work with and receive information from a
variety of foreign and domestic government agencies,
non-governmental organizations, state and local agen-
cies and private volunteer organizations. The U.S. may
not have the lead in these operations and therefore must
work closely with the lead agency to ensure U.S. in-
formation operations are consistent with the
overarching operational theme and objectives.
Commanders and
Public Affairs
The changes occurring in America’s Army, the
evolving information environment and the emerging
information communications technologies have made
it much more difficult to control, limit or restrict in-
formation. The greater availability of detailed, graphic,
real-time information from anywhere in the world
impacts the linkage between national strategic goals,
theater strategic and operational objectives, and op-
erational and tactical execution.
The fact that information is more available has
bridged the gap between what occurs on the ground
and the goals and objectives of the national military
strategy. Real-time or near real-time reports of the ac-
tions of a soldier manning a roadblock, the results of a
minor 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 affairs
aware. As the Army and the information environment
evolve, public affairs operations become an increas-
ingly critical element in the determination and achieve-
ment of the strategic end state. The perception of
America’s Army and how it conducts its operations
can be as important to the Army’s success as actual
combat. Leaders must recognize the potency of public
opinion and its potential impact on the morale, confi-
dence and effectiveness of soldiers.
13
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
Commanders must focus on providing complete,
accurate, timely information, rather than on guarding
information. It is critically important to achieve a bal-
anced, fair and credible presentation of information to
the American public. Commanders must know the in-
formation needs and expectations of their soldiers and
their family members, the home station community
and other internal audiences.
Commanders who understand the media are not
intimidated by the media, its role and its potential im-
pact. Commanders must plan for media. They must
confidently facilitate the media effort to provide cov-
erage, and they must support open and independent
reporting and access to units as early and as far for-
ward as is feasible. They must integrate public affairs
into their decision-making process, and consider pub-
lic affairs in their assessment of the situation and their
development of courses of actions, plans and orders.
They must ensure that public affairs operations are syn-
chronized with other combat functions. ^
14
FM 46-1
Chapter 2
Public Affairs
Principles
T 'he Public Affairs mission fulfills the Army’s obli-
gation to keep the American people and the Army
informed, and helps to establish the conditions that
lead to confidence in America ’s Army and its readi-
ness to conduct operations in peacetime, conflict and
war.
The active Army, U.S. Army Reserve and Army
National 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’s
professional character, beliefs, values and ethics. Army
Public Affairs promotes a greater understanding of the
Army and its contribution to the nation.
When America’s Army is understood, America’s
Army is strengthened. Army morale and esprit are en-
hanced, which further enhances understanding, confi-
dence, trust, respect and esteem.
Public Affairs support
to military operations
Public Affairs supports military and U.S. policy
objectives throughout the operational continuum.
PAOs provide combat commanders with a battlefield
edge in winning the war conducted in today’s Global
Information Environment. Commanders require their
PAOs 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 public
affairs 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 external
audiences
•participating in Information Operations
Public Affairs and the
Principles 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 the
Army’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 PAO
assesses the impact of military operations in both the
global (GIE) and military (MIE) information environ-
ments. PA operations will have the same impact on
15
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
these basic military principles as any other element in
the operational force.
Objective
Once the strategic, operational, and tactical mili-
tary objectives are specified, the PAO supports the
commander 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, conducting
media center operations, facilitating media access to
the force, acquiring and analyzing information, and
targeting products to specific audi-
ences.
Offensive
To 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’s
objective.
Public Affairs operations are
combat multipliers by:
• keeping soldiers informed
• maintaining public support for
the soldier in the field
• mitigating the impact of mis-
information and propaganda
Mass
The principle of mass requires
the quick assembly of public affairs
forces and resources at a particular
place and time. PA forces must be
deployed early, in sufficient num-
bers, and utilized in accordance with
the established battlefield laydown
if they are to conduct professional
PA operations appropriately tailored
to their assigned missions. The com-
manders most likely to succeed will
have accurately assessed the level of
news media interest in their opera-
tion, and will have provided the as-
sets necessary to accomplish the
public affairs mission.
Economy of force
The judicious employment and distribution of
forces requires that no part of the force should be left
without public affairs training and support. The PAO
must ensure that young leaders and soldiers in forward-
deployed units are trained and capable of successfully
telling 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 the
flexibility of maneuvering PA personnel with the main
body while continuing to conduct public affairs op-
erations.
The Principles of War - FM 100-5
Objective: Direct every military operation toward a
clearly defined, decisive and attainable objective.
Offensive: Seize, retain and exploit the initiative.
Mass: Mass the effects of overwhelming combat
power at the decisive place and time.
Economy of Force: Employ all combat power
available 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 combat
power.
Unity of Command: For every objective, seek unity
of command and unity of effort.
Security: Never permit the enemy to acquire
unexpected advantage.
Surprise: Strike the enemy at a time or place or in
a manner for which he is unprepared.
Simplicity: Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and
concise orders to ensure thorough understanding.
16
FM 46-1
Unity of command
Unity 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 a
unified puipose. Whether that commander is a divi-
sion, corps, theater, joint, or unified public affairs com-
mander, PA units must have a clear chain of command
that minimizes the number of higher headquarters in
that chain. The chain must be flexible enough to syn-
chronize PA functional activities throughout the the-
ater of operations.
Unity of effort
Unity of effort, essential to unity of command, re-
quires the coordination and cooperation among all
forces, especially those public affairs operations at the
joint or unified level where more than one service is
involved in the public affairs operation. It is essential
if we are to effectively tell the Army’s story.
Security
Public 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 and
complexity of military operations to the media. To pre-
vent the release of classified or protected information
into the public domain, individuals must practice se-
curity at the source and adhere to OPSEC requirements.
Surprise
Speed, effective intelligence, deception, applica-
tion of unexpected combat power, OPSEC and varia-
tions in tactics and methods of operations are elements
of surprise. The elements of the principle of security
cany over to the principle of surprise. Public affairs
forces must ensure that the element of surprise is not
compromised by the inadvertent release of critical op-
erational information.
Simplicity
Public affairs relationships are simplified by us-
ing a single-staff focal point. The PAO, working with
the G3/S3, can relieve the unit’s staff and command
of many related functions. PA plans and annexes must
be simple and direct, and must be supportable by the
available resources. Early coordination and comple-
tion of operational annexes will ensure effective and
successful operations.
T he Global Information Environment (GIE) has
bridged the gap between the strategic and tacti-
cal levels of operations. Information and images from
a theater of operations are available to audiences in
the United States and throughout the world in near
real time. They can dramatically influence public opin-
ion and may force the National Command Authority
to react more rapidly than it would prefer. They may
lead to changes in strategic level goals and guidance,
result in significant modifications to operational mis-
sions, policies and procedures, and cause unexpected
tactical restraints and constraints. They have a direct
impact on soldier morale, discipline and performance.
Public Affairs Principles
Conducting operations in the GIE requires an un-
derstanding of basic public affairs principles. Army
leaders 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 also
be familial - with the DoD Principles of Information
(Appendix A) and the Guidelines for Coverage of DoD
Combat Operations (Appendix B) which provide
overarching guidelines for public affairs operations.
Soldiers and families come first
Internal audiences include soldiers, civilian em-
ployees, retirees and all affiliated family members
throughout the Army’s active and reserve components.
These audiences must be thoroughly and appropriately
informed to ensure maximum effectiveness and the
highest sustainable morale. These audiences often be-
come public spokespersons and effectively managed
internal information programs contribute to their abil-
ity to do that well. Although operational needs may at
times divert immediate attention to external audiences,
the information needs of soldiers, families, civilian
employees, retirees and employers of reservists must
be considered first.
Truth is paramount
Trust and confidence in America’s Army and its
conduct of operations result when external and inter-
nal audiences understand the Army and the reasons
for 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-
17
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
lies, policies and procedures. Because every active and
reserve component soldier, civilian and family mem-
ber is perceived as a credible spokesperson, telling the
Army story is a total Army responsibility. Once lost,
credibility cannot be easily regained. The quickest way
to destroy credibility is to misrepresent the truth. Com-
municating different messages to different audiences
is 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 out
The GIE makes more information easier to dis-
seminate and more accessible to wide audiences. As
the 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 that
information availability will have on mission, and pre-
pare to address issues openly, honestly and in a timely
manner. Once information is available, attempting to
deny it or failing to acknowledge it will destroy the
Army’s credibility.
Not all news is good news
In the GIE, the presentation of information about
the Army and its operations will be both positive and
negative. Information about failures will be just as
available 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 information
will not be classified or otherwise withheld to protect
the government from criticism or embarrassment. In-
formation can only be withheld when its disclosure
would adversely affect national and operations secu-
rity or threaten the safety or privacy of members of
the 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 result
in the publication of stories which are not favorable to
the command.
Army spokespersons must avoid speculation and
confirm the accuracy of their information. Successes
and strengths as well as failures and weaknesses must
be addressed if internal and external audience confi-
dence in the Army is to be maintained. Issues must be
addressed quickly, honestly and accurately. Explana-
tions may be given in terms of corrective actions and
preventive measures. Withholding or appearing to
withhold negative information creates the perception
of cover-ups, leads to speculation, and destroys the
credibility of the Army and the operation. Denying
information about, or refusing to comment on, poli-
cies, operations, activities, positions or procedures
which are clearly in the public domain undermines
confidence in the Army.
Telling our story is good for the Army
In 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 communicates
restraint, indicates perseverance, and can serve as a
deterrent. It can clarify the nature of the mandate and
the 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 disinformation
efforts are being made by adversaries, providing open
access and independent media coverage is the most
effective defense. It is a key tool for countering the
impact of enemy information operations.
Public affairs must be deployed early
During deployments an Army commander’s first
contact will often be with a news reporter. Reporters
and journalists will be present in the area of opera-
tions before Army forces arrive, and will often be well
established, 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 media
will know and understand the area of operations. For
them, the injection of Army forces will be their major
story. Since national and international media will be
watching from the moment the forces arrive, public
affairs personnel need to be deployed in the first hours
of an operation to support the commander and the force
in their interactions with media. The PAO can signifi-
cantly reduce the distractions to the mission created
by the media, allowing the commander to focus on his
18
FM 46-1
mission and his soldiers’ welfare.
Media interest will be intense at the outset of op-
erations. Public interest and media attention will be
high during the initial deployment of forces. The me-
dia will closely cover the deployment of American
forces, 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 begins
to redeploy.
Media are not the enemy
While military professionals and journalists both
serve the American people, their philosophies, values
and basic outlook don’t always correspond. These dif-
ferences can easily lead to misunderstandings. Yet the
vast majority of journalists and the organizations they
represent are committed to the ideals of providing re-
sponsible, accurate, balanced coverage. Good report-
ers will thoroughly investigate issues, and ask tough
challenging questions. They seek information, inter-
pretation and perspective. Yet many reporters today
have not served in the military and their inexperience
and uncertainty may create obstacles in communica-
tion between themselves and soldiers. They may fail
to properly prepare for their assignments. Soldiers may
need to educate them on military operations and help
them understand the significance of the events on
which they report.
Reporters covering operations should not only be
provided access to units and soldiers, but whenever
feasible, should be included in the operation as a part
of a unit. Incorporating journalists into units provides
them with a unique perspective. It gives them the
chance to know soldiers, understand the operation and
experience America’s Army. It results in the best cov-
erage.
Practice security at the source
The characteristics of the military and global in-
formation environments essentially render field cen-
sorship impractical in its traditional sense, as well as
impossible. All individuals must be responsible for
sensitive information. Whether being interviewed by
a reporter, or sharing news with a spouse or a friend,
communicators must be aware of operational security,
safety and proprietary issues. Anytime they provide
information, that information may be made public. The
standard must be to practice security at the source by
not sharing information which policy has determined
to be inappropriate for release, f
19
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
Chapter 3
Public Affairs
Core Processes
T he public affairs functional areas have historically
been public information, command information
and community relations. As broad references, the
terms 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 address
the challenge of providing public affairs support in the
global 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 approach
to articulating what public affairs professionals do.
This chapter focuses on core processes, within the
framework of the three broad public affairs functional
areas, 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 designations
such as Command Information and Public Informa-
tion may be used to describe public affairs product cat-
egories or organizational focus, the public affairs core
process definitions describe the esssential components
of Army public affairs operations.
Public Affairs planning
From receipt of a mission through mission analy-
sis, course of action development, analysis, recommen-
dation, decision and implementation, public affairs
planners continuously assess the situation, develop
solutions and monitor effects of public affairs opera-
tions. Public affairs planning is an integral element of
the decision-making process at every level and across
the continuum of operations. Done in concert with op-
erational planning, it enhances the commander’ s range
of options.
Public affairs planning reduces the constraints
which inhibit a commander’ s range of possibilities and
increases his freedom to decide and act without dis-
traction. This planning is conducted in concert with
all information operations planners, and when appro-
priate, with the Information Operations Battle Staff.
Public affairs planning begins with the receipt of
a mission. PAOs prepare the Public Affairs Estimate,
and advise the commander and other staff personnel
on global information environment issues (such as ex-
pected media interest) which might impact on the mis-
sion. They provide input during the development of
possible courses of action and the war gaming of those
potential courses of action. They identify critical pub-
lic affairs risk factors, consider branches and sequels,
judge the impact on internal audiences and external
community relations, develop a public affairs strategy,
prepare the Public Affairs Annex to the Operation Plan/
Operation Order and publish Public Affairs Guidance.
20
FM 46-1
Once operations have been initiated, public affairs
planners continuously monitor operations and the GIE.
They evaluate the situation, measure the effectiveness
of the effort and make adjustments to the PA opera-
tion as necessary. They react to operational events with
a public affairs impact, and public affairs events with
an operational impact. They participate in future op-
erations planning.
Public Affairs Assessment
The Public Affairs Assessment addresses all as-
pects of the information environment, whether or not
they are under the control of the commander. Primary
emphasis is placed on identifying, measuring and
evaluating the implications of the external informa-
tion environment that the Army does not control, but
can 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 of
assessing the internal environment as well.
The assessment identifies
and evaluates the public affairs
environment, the global infor-
mation environment and the
military information environ-
ment of a country, geographic
area or the area of operation.
It includes an examination of
the physical and social infra-
structure from a public affairs
viewpoint. The assessment is
continually updated and is
used as a reference document
which briefly describes characteristics of the region
which are pertinent to public affairs operations. Much
of the information used to develop this assessment is
obtained from other contributors to Information Op-
erations. For example, the Civil Affairs representative
to the Information Operations Battle Staff may have
information 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 the
assessment with information being collected by the
Civil Affairs, Psychological Operations, and Military
Intelligence sections. This ensures coordination in the
development 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 know
the number of media representatives in the theater be-
fore the deployment of his force, and what level of
media presence he should anticipate once deployment
begins. The commander must also have an analysis of
the type of media (print or broadcast), the visibility of
the media (local, national, international, American or
foreign) and the style of the media (news, information
or entertainment) covering the operation. The assess-
ment of the media presence should address the author-
ity under which media representatives are operating in
the theater and their degree of access to the theater of
operations.
•Media capabilities. A commander needs an
analysis 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 telecommunications
access. An analysis of the sophistication of the media’s
logistics support provides information about the trans-
portation assets or resupply channels available to me-
dia representatives, and can be an important planning
consideration.
•Information needs. A commander needs to
know who he must provide information to and what
information he will need to provide. Public affairs plan-
ners will conduct an audience analysis to determine
the information needs of soldiers, family members,
hometown audiences, and the American public. A thor-
ough audience analysis will evaluate how information
made available to the media will be perceived by non-
Dramatic visual presentations can
rapidly influence public and political
opinion, so that the political
underpinnings of war and operations
other than war suddenly change with no
prior indication to the commander in the
field. - FM 100-5 Operations
21
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
U.S. publics, including allied as well as adversary pub-
lics, what they will be interested in, and what they
might do with that information.
•Media content analysis. A commander
needs to know what is being said and by whom. A
media content analysis will provide an evaluation of
the quantity and the nature of that coverage, and re-
veal intended as well as unintended messages. This is
essential to understanding how stated intentions and
conditions contrast with real intentions and conditions,
and helps identify media trends or agendas. This will
help the commander understand how the situation is
being framed and what messages are being communi-
cated to the public. How the situation is framed — the
context in which it is being presented — will influ-
ence how the American public defines success and the
desired end-state of an operation. Understanding how
the situation is framed is essential to designing effec-
tive strategies for communicating the Army perspec-
tive within the public discourse, and for achieving a
balanced, fair and credible flow of information.
•Public opinion. A commander needs to know
how the American people and their civilian leaders per-
ceive the situation and the use of military power. He
needs to understand the perceptions held by interna-
tional audiences, both those traditionally allied with
the U.S. and those traditionally considered to be ad-
versaries. Assessment of public opinion must not only
evaluate the perceptions held, but also the relative so-
lidity or strength of those attitudes.
•Information infrastructure. A commander
needs to know what sources are accessible for trans-
mitting and receiving information. Among other things,
an analysis must be conducted of the availability of
telephone lines for voice and data transmission, the
accessibility of audio and video channels, the preva-
lence of private communications devices such as tele-
phones, facsimiles, computers with modems, radios
and televisions, and the nature of the information avail-
able through these information channels.
Public Affairs Estimate
The 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 of
understanding about strategic and operational objec-
tives and military activities and to identify levels of
public support. The Public Affairs Estimate evaluates
the existing global information environment, emerg-
ing trends, current events, and internal and external
information communication issues. It contains an
analysis and comparison of alternative courses of ac-
tion, recommendations about public affairs force struc-
ture and how to employ available PA assets.
Public Affairs Plans
Based on the information developed in the Public
Affairs Estimate, planners develop a strategy to sup-
port the operation. The public affairs strategy links
the national strategic goals and operational objectives.
It defines the Army perspective of an operation, and
describes how an operation supports strategic goals. It
provides the intent for public affairs operations and
the Army’s approach to meeting the information needs
of critical internal and external audiences. In final form
it becomes the Public Affairs Annex to the operations
plan 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. The
annex provides the details for media facilitation, news
and information, and force training operations. It is
coordinated with all staff agencies, especially those
that 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 Guidance
Public Affairs Guidance (PAG) provides mission-
specific guidance to support public discussion of the
operation. Public Affairs Guidance establishes the
command’s public affairs policies, identifies issues
likely to be of interest, delineates the Army perspec-
tive, recommends appropriate themes, and addresses
the methods, timing and authority for releasing infor-
mation to news media representatives.
Information Strategies
The 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, copying
machines, cellular communication, wireless commu-
nication and many other information technologies have
22
FM 46-1
created an endless stream of data and information that
flows into a world filled with images, symbols, words,
and sounds. Much of this information is a strategic
asset, capable of altering high-level decisions by the
National 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 all
available and appropriate methods of communication
to achieve specific goals of informing target audiences.
The process includes: acquisition, production, distri-
bution and protection.
Acquisition
Information acquisition is initiated by PAOs de-
veloping story ideas that support the PA guidance and
themes for the operation. They monitor events in the
GIE/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 a
systematic 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 be
processed and distributed internally or marketed over
commercial radio and television broadcast mediums,
across the Internet and the World Wide Web, and to
newspapers and magazines.
Production
For 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 communications
networks 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 an
interview-the PAO must also review the context of
the information for its impact on internal and external
community relations.
Distribution
Information must reach an audience. Distribution
systems or platforms must keep up with changes in
the technology used to deliver information. The pub-
lic affairs community should be able to deliver infor-
mation to all audiences via all mediums. Connectivity
within 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 television
screens as well as on the battlefield.
PAOs employ many information strategies to pro-
vide news and information to internal and external
audiences. Using organic military assets and contracted
services, PAOs provide print, video, audio and elec-
tronic information products to deployed soldiers, news
media representatives, family members, and other
home station audiences such as members of the local
community. They fill news and information needs and
expectations 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 is
a critical element in communicating the Army perspec-
tive and contributes to achieving a timely, accurate,
balanced presentation of information about America’s
Army, the force and the mission. It builds confidence
in 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 and
external audiences is synergistic. “Public information”
provided to the commercial news media is available
to soldiers, families, and Army civilians. “Command
information” provided to soldiers, families and Army
civilians quickly becomes available to reporters and
23
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
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 in
America’s Army.
The information products provided to internal and
external audiences are varied. They provide news and
information about America’s Army, the force, unit
activities, the operation, exercise, and Annual Train-
ing for reservists. For deployed soldiers, they also in-
clude products which provide news and information
about home station, the local community, and national
and international events. Public media products — print,
broadcast and electronic — must also be made avail-
able to soldiers.
Protect
The process of informing requires a clear-cut un-
derstanding of how information must be protected. In-
formation as a resource is inexhaustible. Both sides
can benefit from information and use information si-
multaneously against each other. Pieces of the right
information can have a dramatic impact on the out-
come of an operation. PAOs will continue to protect
vital information by practicing “security at the source”
and following established operational security mea-
sures. In addition to protecting “raw” and completed
information products, PAOs must also take the neces-
sary steps to protect information networks.
Media Facilitation
The commercial news media are major players in
the global information environment. Fewer than 150
reporters 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 world
covered the Persian Gulf War in 1 99 1 . There is no ques-
tion that the news media will cover future military
operations, and in most cases will be on the ground
before American forces arrive. Images of events as they
happen, in real-time, from both sides of the conflict
will be transmitted to the world. It is the commander’ s
task, through the public affairs officer and staff, to
develop a well resourced and responsive infrastruc-
ture to facilitate media operations. Failure to do so will
not affect the scale of news media coverage; it will,
however, limit the command’s ability to communicate
effectively and risk distorting the public’s perception
24
of the military’s effectiveness.
Media facilitiation includes —
•assisting media entry into the area
•registering media representatives
•orien ting 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 early
Setting up a media center early establishes a focal
point for media representatives seeking to cover an
operation and also provides a central location for Army
personnel seeking assistance with reporters in their
area. It is a place for resolving problems or incidents
resulting from media/military interaction.
Understand and prepare for the media
To prepare for encounters with the media, com-
manders must accept and understand the role of the
news organizations and the journalists in the theater,
and their capabilities in getting information from the
battlefield or area of operations. Commanders must
provide media access to the force, keeping in mind the
impact 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 news
media interest in their operation and anticipated and
provided the assets necessary to accomplish the media
facilitation mission. Commanders and staff must assess
the intensity of news media interest and anticipate the
personnel, communications, transportation, and deploy-
ment requirements necessary to communicate through
the news media during ah stages of the operation. The
objective of media facilitation is to support reporters
in their efforts to cover the force and the operation,
while minimizing the possibility that media activities will
disrupt the operation, endanger mission accomplishment
or 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
FM 46-1
with soldiers during an operation, embedding them into
the unit they cover. Embedding is the act of assigning
a 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 the
unit and is not escorted by public affairs personnel.
Rather, the unit is the reporter’ s escort. Reporters file
their stories from unit lo-
cations and security is ac-
complished at the source,
by establishing with the
reporter what can be cov-
ered and reported on and
what cannot be reported
on, or when material can
be 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 about
their units. They should seek to convince reporters that
the acceptance of reasonable military ground rules ( see
Appendix E, Media Ground Rules Example) and the
integration of journalists into operational units are in
the best interest of both institutions. However, some
reporters will choose not to cooperate and in those
cases, commanders have no responsibilities for such
individuals and should focus their attention on the re-
porters who desire to abide by the procedures outlined
for the operation.
While members of the media may say that their
security is of no concern to the military and DoD policy
calls for working with journalists without regard for
their safety, the capture of journalists by U.S. adver-
saries in Panama during Operation Just Cause and in
Iraq during Desert Storm have proven that while no
one can guarantee the security of all reporters, those
who accept the protection afforded them by military
units are in the best position to cover the story and
survive.
Interviews, escorts and briefings
Public affairs and operational personnel should be
available to furnish explanations to provide context to
the transmitted images and reports. Without command
assistance, there is a chance that misperceptions and
misunderstandings 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 specialized
expertise to explain detailed activities of different units
involved 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 on
a designated subject matter expert (such as an execu-
tive officer, first sergeant, platoon leader) to assist the
media while they are in the unit.
Transportation arrangements need not place spe-
cial requirements on the commander. Reporters can
move forward with supply columns or with any trans-
port which inevitably shuttles within the organization.
Commanders at every level should be interested
in what is being said about their efforts. Those at the
tactical 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 with
what is being reported, but they do have to understand
what is being reported. The public obtains its informa-
tion about the operation from the news media, and those
reports help to shape public perceptions and opinion
about the command’s effectiveness. With an effective
media facilitation program, the command is aware of
differences between what it knows to be true and what
the news media are reporting. Relying on technology,
their assessments, and then - media facilitation plans,
commanders and their PA staffs have to continuously work
to 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 ground
before soldiers arrive.
Commanders must develop
well-resourced and responsive
means to help them in their mission.
25
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
wartime conditions. Public affairs training includes — ment, planning and execution. It Pains PA planners to
•training for public affairs soldiers assess the operations environment from a public af-
•media interaction training for non-public affairs fairs perspective, produce a Public Affairs Estimate,
soldiers, civilian employees and family members develop the Public Affairs Annex and Public Affairs
Guidance.
The goal of public affairs training is to prepare
soldiers to interact with and operate under the scrutiny Training for public affairs units and personnel en-
of the press. It teaches soldiers that journalists are not ables them to validate standard operating procedures
adversaries, and focus on providing accurate, balanced for media operations centers and media facilitation,
coverage. It helps soldiers understand that the media develop and execute information strategics, create and
is a communication channel to the American public as distribute information products, and fully participate
well as to audiences worldwide. in information operations. Public affairs sections and
units should be routinely incorporated into the entire
Although public affairs training familiarizes soldiers spectrum of training events,
with their rights regarding interaction with the press, it
also prepares them to facilitate journalists efforts to Public affairs training can also be conducted for
gather and report information. It Pains them on how to journalists. They should be educated on the rights and
react when they encounter responsibilities of
media in their area of op- “Every commander, every military community
erations. It prepares them to ... ... members, as well as
give interviews, provide SOldier, every UHlt III 3 l C the ro i es and m is-
briefings and escort jour-
nalists. It ensures they are
ready to perform their du-
ties while accompanied by
reporters without allowing
the media presence to influ-
ence or interfere with the
Projection Army must be
fully trained and ready to
deploy. ”
-FM100-5, Operations
sions of particular
units and the Army.
The
overarching goal of
this public affairs
execution of their duties.
For commanders, staffs and other Army leaders,
public affairs training builds on individual training. It
focuses on integrating public affairs considerations into
the planning and decision-making process. It prepares
them 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 plan
for the strategic, operational and tactical impact of a
media-intensive, global information environment. It
Pains them to identify and develop public affairs plans
which are fully synchronized with and mutually sup-
portive of all other aspects of the operation.
Training for public affairs personnel expands on
soldier and leader Paining. It sPesses individual as well
as collective tasks with an aim of developing units fully
prepared 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-
training is to help the military and media interact with
mutual respect and understanding.
Community Relations
The 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 equally
integral parts of their hometown communities. Reserve
centers and armories are major civic structures, and
the reserve component soldiers live and work in the
community. Maintaining effective community rela-
tions not only contributes to the morale of soldiers and
their families, but also enhances the projection and sus-
tainment capabilities of Army posts and hometown
support, directly affecting the combat power potential
of mobilized or deployed Army forces. Communities
can provide the Army access to resources needed to
train 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
26
FM 46-1
America’s Army. The Army’s ability to meet its man-
power needs is heavily dependent upon the acceptance
and support of the American public. Effective com-
munity relations programs help project an image of
the Army as a good place for America’s youth, thus
enhancing the Army’s ability to attract and retain the
quality 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, community
relations is a shared task with the G5. At both CONUS
and overseas locations, public affairs personnel help
civic leaders and local populations understand the ac-
tivities of nearby installations and units. Community
relations audiences include the public, government of-
ficials at all levels, business leaders, and church, ser-
vice, civic and school organizations.
Overseas, host nation
civilians are often em-
ployed as media and
community relations spe-
cialists. They advise
PAOs and commanders
of host nation sensitivi-
ties, local political issues
and press reaction to
American 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 con tact 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. Community
relations are also impacted by what is reported in the
media, and thus are affected by the media facilitation
and information strategy processes. Media facilitation
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 relations
are also affected by a variety of command and com-
munity initiated events and activities.
The importance of community relations cannot be
underestimated. The relationship between the Army
and the public is a fundamental objective of the public
affairs mission of contributing to “the conditions that
lead to confidence in America’s Army and its readi-
ness to conduct operations in peacetime and war.” This
relationship is not created and maintained only during
operations, 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 perceptions
of what one community thinks of the other. Thus, an
Army organization that is thought to be uncaring about
its surrounding community, will naturally be unlikely to
experience a positive relationship with that community.
The public’s relation-
ship with a local re-
serve unit or an active
duty installation neces-
sitates that the potential
implications of every
installation activity, op-
eration or major train-
ing activity be consid-
ered at all times. This is especially important during
crisis management and mobilization, deployment and
redeployment operations, even when the installation
or 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 the
Department of the Army or Department of Defense.
During such times, the information requirements of
both internal and external audiences increase dramati-
cally. Installation and reserve unit commanders and
their staffs, advised and supported by their public af-
fairs elements, need to develop effective public affairs
programs which stress the open, honest, accurate, com-
plete and timely release of information and is based
on:
Identifying, understanding and fulfilling
information needs
Meeting the information needs of external audi-
ences through information strategies and products con-
tributes to a sense of community identity, culture, co-
Effective community relations
programs enhance the
projection and sustainment
capabilities of the Army and
supports soldiers ’ families.
27
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
operation and mutual interdependence. It eases con-
cerns and distractions so that the installation, armory
or reserve center can concentrate on performing its mis-
sion of improving readiness and providing community
support. It reduces uncertainty, rumor and misinfor-
mation which can cause stress and conflict. It results
in interaction and cooperative problem identification,
definition and resolution. An active, coordinated pub-
lic affairs program contributes to local community
members understanding and supporting the installa-
tion goals and objectives.
Practicing maximum disclosure
with 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 these
audiences informed. Installation, armory and reserve
center commanders should make information readily
available. Open and independent reporting will be the
norm and journalists should be granted access to all
units, activities and operations, within the bounds of
operational security. Information must not be withheld
solely to protect the installation or the Army from criti-
cism or embarrassment. Being open and forthcoming
about negative events as well as the positive greatly
enhances the credibility of the installation or center.
Command initiated actions that can contribute to
positive community relations include a range of ac-
tivities such as participating in or providing open
houses, exhibits, static displays, bands, color guards
and speakers. Additional activities include participa-
tion and membership in civic, business and professional
organizations. Restrictions on military participation
and support of specific activities are addressed in de-
tail in AR 360-61. ^
28
FM 46-1
Chapter 4
Public Affairs and
Army Operations
M ilitary force is used in combination with other
elements of national power to preserve, protect,
and advance the vital interests of the nation. Gaining
public 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’s
political leaders. This chapter focuses on the synergy
between Public Affairs and the fundamentals of Army
operations. It examines the role of Public Affairs at
different levels of operations and discusses how the
Tenets of Army Operations apply to Public Affairs.
Public Affairs
and the levels of war
At all levels of war. public affairs operations are
critical to the ability of the Army to accomplish the
mission. This is especially true because the global in-
formation environment has compressed the strategic,
operational and tactical levels. By bridging the gap
between the soldier on the ground and the American
public, elements of the global information environment
may influence the direction, range, duration and con-
duct of operations. Live coverage of tactical events
influence 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 level
At the strategic level, Public Affairs helps to es-
tablish the foundation and framework for conducting
Army 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 the
Army’s readiness to react promptly, decisively and
appropriately, and are planned to clarify the linkage
between national strategic goals and the Army mis-
sion. They are conducted to communicate Army goals
in support of the mission, identify the desired end state
and 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 achieve
decisive victory ( Figure 3-1 ).
Public Affairs at the operational level
At the operational level, public affairs operations
explain the Army’s concept for employing forces and
applying resources to accomplish the mission. They
clarify the link between strategic goals and operational
objectives. 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 implications
of current and future campaigns, operations and plans,
and ensures that Public Affairs Guidance is integrated
into the planning process. At the operational level,
public affairs supports the commander’ s requirement
to 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).
29
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
Public Affairs at the Tactical Level
Public affairs at the tactical level is executed to
achieve a balanced flow of accurate and timely infor-
mation which communicates the Army perspective but
does not violate operational security. Tactical public
affairs supports the battlefield mission. It assists com-
manders in establishing a program which fulfills the
internal information needs and expectations of the
force. The interface between soldiers on the ground
and media in the area of operations is also vitally im-
portant. While the commander will position his public
affairs assets where he needs them in accordance with
the situation and based on his METT-T analysis, to
ensure success in the military information environment,
public affairs personnel should be positioned as close
to the battlefield as logistically and logically possible.
Ideally, organic coips and division public affairs staffs
can best serve the commander and the soldiers when
collocated with the commander. When augmented by
the public affairs detachment, PA personnel can be
effectively used in a split-based operation between for-
ward command post and rear command post ( Figure
3 - 1 ).
Public Affairs and the
Tenets of Army Operations
The Tenets of Army Operations are fundamental
doctrinal guides for planning and executing Army op-
erations. They describe characteristics essential to suc-
cessful operations and victory. Understanding how
they apply to public affairs operations is critical to
successful strategic development and planning.
Initiative
Public affairs operations should employ an active
approach. PAOs must take the lead in contributing to
accurate, credible, and balanced coverage by practic-
ing maximum disclosure with minimum delay. Public
affairs operations should be planned and executed to
PA Support to Levels of War
Levels of
War
Echelon of
Command
PA Section
Strategic \
NCA
JCS
Unified/Specified
Commands
Operational
Tactical
Theater
Army
Corps
Joint Task Force
_ COSCOM
Division
Brigade
OASD (PA)
CinC's PAO
TA PAO
Corps/JTF
PAO
Embedded
PAO
PA Units
PAOC
Public Affairs
Operations
Center
BOD
Broadcast
Operations
Detachment
MPAD
Mobile Public
Affairs
Detachment
PAD
Public Affairs
Detachment
30
Figure 3-1 PA Support Relationships
FM 46-1
influence the presentation of information about the
force by providing truthful, complete, and timely in-
formation that communicates the Army perspective.
Although there will be occasions when public affairs
will be forced to react, planners must avoid a passive
approach. Doing so cedes the initiative, results in a
framework that is shaped without consideration of the
Army perspective, and is counterproductive to Army
efforts to maintain credibility and enhance confidence
in the force and the operation. Public affairs officers
must seize and maintain the initiative.
Agility
Public affairs must react rapidly to the global in-
formation environment, and planners must be ready to
respond without hesitation. They must be able to
quickly provide truthful, complete and timely infor-
mation. To achieve accuracy, credibility and balance,
they must anticipate the implications of events and act
to communicate the Army perspective, contributing to
accurate and balanced coverage of the force and op-
eration.
Depth
Public affairs must be able to extend operations in
time and space, with limited resources and a puipose.
Depth requires planners to understand the capabilities
and dynamics of the military information environment
(MIE) and to continuously monitor and evaluate the
presentation of information. They must assess the way
information is perceived and anticipate the reaction of
critical internal and external audiences to that infor-
mation. They must use available resources to present
information throughout the global information envi-
ronment.
Synchronization
Public affairs must be integrated with other battle-
field functions to achieve the desired effect of an ac-
curate, balanced, credible presentation of information
that leads to confidence in the force and the operation.
Synchronization requires that public affairs be con-
sidered throughout the decision-making process since
everything that occurs in an operation has public af-
fairs implications. The synchronization of Public Af-
fairs and other information functions, such as Civil
Affairs, 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 these
functions are mutually supporting and contribute to
the accomplishment of the operational objectives and
the strategic goals of the operation.
Versatility
Public affairs must be capable of shifting its fo-
cus, tailoring assets and moving from one mission to
another to meet diverse requirements and provide qual-
ity support to the commander. Versatility requires that
PAOs be prepared to provide information to a wide
variety of audiences and meet different information
expectations, desires and styles. Public affairs person-
nel must be capable of operating across the entire spec-
trum of communication mediums, supporting the full
range of different media environments and reacting to
the changing levels of media interest and attention.
Public Affairs and the
Elements 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 to
focus sufficient force to ensure success and deny the
enemy any chance of escape or effective retaliation.
Public affairs has always provided potential, if unreal-
ized, combat power. An Army compelled to fight and
win in the Information Age must leverage public af-
fairs and derive its maximum contribution to combat
power.
As an element of combat power, public affairs
spans the continuum from national strategy to tactical
operations. The Army cannot set out to perform its
mission, let alone succeed, without public support.
Public Affairs is the functional area charged and best
able to assist the Army in gaining and sustaining that
support. Citizens must understand why the nation re-
quires an Army. As a people-intensive enterprise en-
tering the Information Age, the Army faces unique
challenges in defining its role and essential contribu-
tions, especially in relation to interests and factors
viewed as “vital” by the American public. Without this
understanding, Americans are less likely to understand
why the nation must spend their tax dollars to fund a
sophisticated, strategic landpower force. Additionally,
strong public support is needed if the Army expects to
31
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
receive the nation’s most precious resource, its sons
and daughters serving as soldiers. Public support for
the Army must be nurtured at all times, during all types
of operations, in peace and war. The responsibility for
gaining public support for a particular campaign or
operation 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 an
institution of the people, sworn to support and defend
the constitution.
At operational and tactical levels, public affairs
contributes to overall combat power in a variety of
ways. It ensures the media has access to the informa-
tion it needs to fulfill its historical role and inform the
American 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 and
take care of its people, regardless of what the public
may 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 the
active and reserve components are fully informed and
have access to the same information while deployed
as they would at home. Access to information enhances
morale and confidence, counters rumors and
disinformation and ensures soldiers understand their
mission 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.
Seemingly simple incidents, often involving very
junior personnel, can impact national, strategic, or even
tactical decision processes if covered by the media.
Army Public Affairs helps commanders understand and
deal with the impact and dynamics of media coverage,
and the global information environment, which extends
well beyond the commercial media to the rapidly evolv-
ing and expanding Internet community. Failure to ac-
commodate the dynamics of media coverage and the
global information environment can permit adversar-
ies to defeat us in the arena of public opinion without
engaging us in direct combat. The impact of the GIE
makes it a critical element of METT-T and must be
considered and dealt with through all phases of an op-
eration. Commanders should expect their PAOs to be
fully engaged in this area and provide “value-added”
impact to the decision-making process. Public affairs
is a responsibility of command, and is an element of
the command and control battlefield operating system.
Commanders should demand that the Public Affairs
Annexes of OPLANS be as substantive and useful as
any other.
The active assessment of issues arising from poten-
tial media coverage, enemy disinformation, rumors and
other 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 dominance
cannot be achieved without effective public affairs sup-
port and planning.
Army doctrine for information operations recog-
nizes that public affairs must be fully integrated into
10 planning, coordination and execution. Civil-mili-
tary and psychological operations must be thoroughly
coordinated with PA
operations to ensure
coherency and credibil-
ity. Failure to do so can
subvert a commander’s
ability to control the in-
formation battlespace.
PAOs must ensure that
PA or information op-
erations never deceive
the media or American
public. The mere perception of deception targeted
against them can destroy the credibility of the Army
and shatter public support. Indeed, it is arguable that
the most powerful information weapon in the Army
of a democratic state is ultimately the truth, reported
by a free press.
An Army compelled to fight and win
in the Information Age
has no option but to leverage
Public Affairs and derive its maximum
contribution to combat power.
32
FM 46-1
Public Affairs and the
Force Projection Cycle
FM 100-5, Operations, describes force projection
as the demonstrated ability to rapidly alert, mobilize,
deploy, and operate anywhere in the world. It is a key
element of power projection — the ability of the na-
tion to apply all or some of the elements of national
power to act in crises, to contribute to deterrence, and
to enhance regional stability. Power projection is a
central element of U.S. national security and national
military 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 and
reserve components, based in or outside the continen-
tal United States and supported by civilian employ-
ees.
Force projection usually begins as a contingency
operation — a rapid response to a crisis. No notice alerts
bring 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 conflict
operations, redeployment and reconstitution and de-
mobilization. Public affairs offices at all levels play
an active role throughout the Force Projection Cycle.
Alert and Predeployment Activities
From the outset of a force projection operation,
internal and external audiences will have significant
information needs and expectations. Media represen-
tatives will provide broad coverage, especially as the
force projection operation increases in size and scope,
or when it is in response to a politically sensitive, highly
visible situation. The GIE will allow audiences
throughout the world to have access to real-time me-
dia coverage, while the military will be concerned with
operational security issues. A variety of Public Affairs
challenges are obviously inherent in force projection.
Although the specific details of an alert notifi-
cation and predeployment activities may be kept
secret, 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 the
GIE the public and media are aware of international
events and impending situations. Considerable public
discussion 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 phase
of any operation. Deploying forces must devote their
complete attention to preparation for deployment. Con-
versely, those PA assets must have a plan to cope with
a significantly increased media presence and a simul-
taneous reduction in the available PA strength to cope
with that presence. Telltale signals, such as increased
telephone usage and traffic at installations, armories
or 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 will
react 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 reporters
who 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 of
complex issues, such as readiness, support mechanisms
for families and the impact of deployment on local
communities — 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 extremely
difficult in the global information environment. When
the assembly and movement of troops and equipment
is impossible to conceal, the attempt can also be coun-
terproductive because the denial of information about
events that are clearly evident can result in specula-
tion, inaccuracies and lead to a loss of confidence in
the military and subsequent deterioration of morale.
33
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
Commanders and their public affairs sections will
have to react rapidly. They will need to provide as much
accurate, 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 community
with media interaction.
Even installations or reserve component com-
mands which do not have units alerted to participate
in the force projection operation can expect a signifi-
cant increase in public affairs demands. Local media
outlets will seek information that allows them to
supplement national reports with localized coverage.
Commanders must also be prepared to fulfill the
increased information expectations of soldiers and the
Army community. Force projection operations are in-
herently challenging, characterized by stress, anxiety,
uncertainty, complexity, and a myriad of distractions
which can interfere with efficient activity. Effectively
communicating critical information to internal audi-
ences can significantly reduce these problems. Com-
manders must seek the advice and assistance of their
public affairs personnel to identify requirements and
devise strategies to accomplish this critical require-
ment.
PAOs must therefore be an integral element of the
installation contingency planning team. Austerely
resourced, their sections will be quickly overwhelmed.
This is especially true for active Army public affairs
sections which depend on the public affairs element
of 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 component
public affairs assets in their War Trace.
Mobilization
When 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 affairs
challenges. 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 those
soldiers, 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 must
be aware of the complex statutory and regulatory re-
quirements for activating reserve component units and
individuals.
Deployment
Commanders should anticipate that the media will
cover the movement of troops and equipment from
home station to the area of operations. Local coverage
of deployment operations should always be expected.
National media coverage should be anticipated if the
scope of the deployment is wide, public interest in the
operation is high or events occur which draw attention
to the deployment.
Media representatives will cover rail and road con-
voys to ports of embarkation, and activities at sea and
air ports. They will seek to report on the units, types of
forces and numbers deploying. They will conduct in-
terviews with the family members of soldiers who are
deploying. They will cover the impact of deployment
on the local community, region and state. The fact that
deployment activities are very visible creates complex
public affairs challenges. Army leaders must carefully
weigh operations security concerns against the reality
of operating in the public domain when developing
and disseminating Public Affairs Guidance.
Entry Operations
In today’s global information environment, na-
tional and international media organizations will prob-
ably be reporting from inside an area of operations
before the projection of U.S. forces. Those media rep-
resentatives will be alerted to the imminent arrival of
U.S. forces. Commanders must be prepared to meet
media representatives when their force enters the area
of operations.
When the entry is unopposed, deploying units can
anticipate arriving at air or sea ports of debarkation
under the watchful eyes of the media, and therefore an
international audience. The force will be subjected to
immediate 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-
34
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 to
conduct media facilitation, and provide news and in-
formation operations. It can contribute to a more me-
thodical, well ordered entry operation and enhance
confidence in the force.
When commanders anticipate having to conduct
an 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 an
unopposed entry, coverage of an opposed entry can
significantly 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 should
be deployed as early in the operation as possible.
Redeployment, reconstitution
and demobilization
The final phases of force projection operations will
also attract significant media attention. The return of
deployed forces after the completion of an operation
will be subjected to coverage which is tinted by the
public 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 of
issues related to the physical and psychological health
and welfare of returning forces and their families.
When mobilization has occurred, they will also focus
on issues revolving around the reintegration of return-
ing reserve component forces into their civilian lives.
The sustaining base or installation public affairs
office supports commanders’ goals by implementing
a program of effective two-way communication which
is critical to building teams, bridging boundaries and
creating a community atmosphere characterized by
inclusion, concern, support and consensus.
Multinational Operations
In peace, conflict and war, multinational opera-
tions serve two puiposes. First, a more powerful force
is created by combining the capabilities and strengths
of several national participants. Of even greater sig-
nificance, however, is the political unity of puipose
demonstrated by multiple nations conducting combined
operations.
FM 100-8, Multinational Operations, cites politi-
cal considerations as the single most important factor
in multinational operations. Whether peace operations
or humanitarian assistance missions, the advantages
of combined operations are accompanied by unique
challenges. Commanders may have to make accept-
able, rather than optimum, decisions on use of coali-
tion forces to maintain the political cohesion of the
partnership. Mission goals must be clearly defined and
mutually understood. Spokespersons from all nations
must “speak with one voice” to reinforce this unity of
purpose.
Multinational partnerships consist of alliances and
coalitions. All are influenced by psychological, eco-
nomic, technological and political factors. Alliances
are 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 puipose and a finite length of
time. Coalition members may be widely diverse in
culture, politics and philosophy and therefore their re-
lationships may be somewhat tenuous and fragile. Each
nation enters into an alliance or coalition for its own
reasons, therefore, a mutually agreed upon end state
must be clearly defined.
The U.S. participates in alliances and coalitions
due to the strategic principle of collective security. The
Army 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 which
collectively make possible operations the U.S. cannot
or will not conduct alone.
Peace operations are nearly always multinational
and are designed to allow the political process to re-
solve conflicts. The political and cultural complexi-
ties of past and present alliances and coalitions can
make it particularly difficult, yet vitally important for
peace keepers to be seen as impartial to belligerents
while firmly united within their coalitions.
Public Affairs Guidance and talking points must
reinforce the fact that the operation is a team effort.
This enhances the mutual confidence and respect which
35
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
solidify the partnership. Lack of confidence in and re-
spect for coalition partners can doom an operation to
failure.
Spokespersons must be sensitive to cultural dif-
ferences and sensitivities when addressing issues that
involve other coalition members. Even an appearance
of cultural insensitivity can undermine popular and
political support for a member nation’s participation,
thus threatening coalition unity.
U.S. doctrine for information and public affairs
operations prescribes close coordination between Pub-
lic Affairs, Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations
to ensure consistent messages. This is equally if not
more important in a multinational environment to en-
sure consistent presentation of clearly defined com-
mon objectives.
Information release authority and procedures must
be agreed to by coalition members to avoid conflicts
and delays. Not all nations have a standard policy of
“maximum disclosure with mi nimum delay.” Standard
procedures can eliminate the conflicts and confusion
created when one nation addresses an incident that
another 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 to
Joint Operations
Although there are occasions when the Army will
operate as an independent element, it normally con-
ducts operations as paid of a joint, multinational or in-
teragency team. The Army regularly works in concert
with other military forces (both sister services and al-
lied forces), non-DoD governmental agencies, and pri-
vate (non-governmental) agencies. The Army may be
36
tasked to provide the base force of a Joint Information
Bureau (JIB), preferably using a Public Affairs Op-
erations Center with Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
augmentation.
The principles of public affairs are no different in
a 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 community
relations. Individual service and DoD responsibilities,
as well as JIB operating procedures, are addressed in
Joint Pub 1-07, Doctrine for Public Affairs in Joint
Operations.
The JIB is the focal point for interface between
the media and joint forces. At a minimum, the Army
element will staff an Army cell within the JIB. More
likely, 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 or
may well be Combined Information Bureaus or Allied
Press Information Centers. These multinational infor-
mation bureaus allow various allies or coalitions to
collectively “speak with one voice” as well as explain
the roles of the individual nations.
PA planning is a command responsibility. It must
be 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
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 achieve
a 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 resources
of the participating agencies. This combined effort
helps eliminate problems and realize U.S. national ob-
jectives and goals.
U. S. Ambassador
The ambassador presides over the country team.
Team composition is determined by the ambassador
and 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 Attache.
U.S. Government Agencies
Effective 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 DoS
representative or the U.S. commander will be assigned
overall responsibility for U.S. activities in the area.
Department of State
Because the DoS formulates and implements for-
eign policy, it has a vested interest in PA activities. In
the area of public affairs, the DoS has primary or joint
responsibility with DoD for policy concerning —
•the extent to which U.S. forces will aid a host
government,
•any matters that may impact on U.S. relations with
other nations, particularly allies or neutrals,
•the level at which the economy of a country will
be maintained by U.S. operations,
•matters involving PSYOP, PA, CA, or other mea-
sures to influence the attitude of the populace.
U.S. Information Agency
The USIA is an independent agency of the U.S.
government that helps achieve U.S. foreign policy
objectives by influencing public attitudes in foreign
areas. 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 public
affairs operations in the host country or theater of op-
erations.
Nongovernment Organizations
Nongovernment Organizations (NGOs) and hu-
manitarian groups are often located in the AO before,
during and after any military operation. They are
present before the media arrive and are often initial
sources of information for journalists, and may serve
as major sources of information during an operation.
Prior to deployment, PA personnel must know
what agencies and organizations are in their assigned
area. These organizations may conduct operations that
are humanitarian (short-term) or developmental (long-
term) in scope. The sponsoring groups or agencies may
be private corporations, foundations, professional as-
sociations, or religious groups. Public affairs forces
on the ground should make contact with these organi-
zations to develop an understanding of their goals and
to establish an understanding of their potential needs
from the PA community. Representatives of these or-
ganizations are credible spokespersons on the local
situation and could prove invaluable in local public
affairs personnel gaining background on the opera-
tional situation from the perspective of the NGO.
Sustaining Base Operations
Sustaining base PA operations focus efforts on:
•Identifying the perceptions, attitudes and infor-
mation expectations and requirements of internal and
external audiences — what soldiers, family members,
civilian employees, retirees, local civilian leaders, com-
munity members and others think about and want or
need to know about the Army, the installation, its op-
erations and activities.
•Evaluating the potential impact of information in
37
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
internal and external audiences — how soldiers, family
members, civilian employees, employers of reservists,
retirees, local civilian leaders and community mem-
bers and others will probably react to information about
the installation, its operations and activities.
•Developing information communication strate-
gies — how to most efficiently and effectively provide
information about an installation, reserve center or ar-
mory, and its operations and activities.
•Assessing the effectiveness of the information
communication strategy — how successful is the effort
to provide information about an installation, reserve
center or armory, and its operations and activities.
•Serving as the interface between the media and
the military — how to best provide information and
access.
•Educating, training and counseling soldiers, fam-
ily members, and civilian employees to understand the
local media environment, establish and maintain ef-
fective media relations and handle media encounters.
The relationship between the installation, reserve
center 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 is
especially critical during crisis management and mo-
bilization, deployment, and redeployment operations,
even when the installation is not directly involved. It
is also important when national debate is occurring
about a politically sensitive or controversial issue re-
lated to Department of the Army or Department of
Defense. During such times, the information require-
ments of both internal and external audiences increase
dramatically. Installation and reserve center/armory
commanders and their staffs, advised and supported
by their public affairs elements, need to develop an
effective, active public affairs program which stresses
the open, honest, accurate, complete, and timely re-
lease of information to internal and external audiences
and is based on:
Identifying, understanding and fulfilling
information needs
When soldiers are deployed, and particularly when
conducting operations that are actually or perceived to
be dangerous, family and community desires for in-
formation are greatly increased. These information
needs are not always met by commercial media orga-
nizations. National and international news organiza-
tions concentrate their efforts on the operation as a
38
whole, and rarely on individual units. With the vast
number of active and reserve military units that par-
ticipate in operations, many are never mentioned by
the commercial press. This can heighten the anxiety
of families and be detrimental to the morale of both
families and soldiers. Often the only information fami-
lies get about “their” soldiers is what is provided in
family support briefings and in information products
created by public affairs units. Keeping these key au-
diences informed is a primary goal of public affairs
information strategics.
Meeting the information needs of internal and ex-
ternal audiences enhances organizational, installation
and community morale, confidence, cohesion, esprit,
discipline and effectiveness. It establishes a sense of
community identity, culture, cooperation and mutual
interdependence. It eases concerns and distractions so
that 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, civilian
employees, employers of reservists, retirees, local com-
munity leaders and members of the local community,
along with other audiences, understand and support
the installation’s goals and objectives, and contribute
to setting and accomplishing the installations’ mission.
The public’s right to know
Because the Army is an agency of the U.S. gov-
ernment, its internal audiences, local civilian leaders
and community members and the American public
have a right to know about its operations, but more
importantly, the Army has an obligation to keep these
audiences 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, activities
and 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 civilian
employee is a spokesperson
The installation, reserve center or armory com-
mander is the community’s official spokesperson. Jun-
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 them
and get their thoughts about issues, events or situa-
tion. Good commanders recognize this and find op-
portunities to “make it happen.”
Proactive media facilitation
The civilian news media is an important informa-
tion channel to the local community and American
public, and most media representatives strive to pub-
lish accurate, truthful, balanced stories. The media’s
goal is not to undermine, interfere or misrepresent the
installation, its operations and activities or the Army
and 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 which
educate and which lead to understanding and support
for the installation and the Army and the contributions
they make to the community and the nation. It leads
to recognition that the installation, reserve center or
armory are “good neighbors” whose presence is a ben-
efit to the community. It presents the installation, re-
serve center/armory, and the Army as organizations
made up of respected professionals who are concerned,
involved citizens operating efficiently, effectively and
in the best interests of the community and the nation.
Effective installation Public Affairs
The proactive, comprehensive, organized, effort
to openly, honestly, accurately and completely provide
maximum information with minimum delay within the
bounds of OPSEC, support open and independent re-
porting, and promotes the free flow of general and
military 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 awareness
and understanding of installation and Army culture,
issues, situations, policy positions and procedures. It
furthers installation and Army goals by monitoring the
support and attitude of key audiences, by assessing the
accuracy and perspective of reported information, and
by 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. ^
39
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
Chapter 5
Stability and
Support Operations
T he Army supports domestic civil authorities, pro-
vides humanitarian and disaster relief, contributes
to nation building, joins multinational peacekeeping
and peace enforcement efforts, assists in counter-drug
efforts and executes a wide range of missions collec-
tively termed stability and support operations (formerly
called operations other than war, (OOTW)). These mis-
sions are intended to preserve and promote regional
stability, maintain democratic values, provide humani-
tarian assistance, defuse crisis, reduce tensions and
deter war. They are executed in an environment of glo-
bal visibility. Media coverage can be pivotal to the
success 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 in
war. 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 the
fear, suspicion, apprehension and misunderstanding
which degrade operational effectiveness.
Stability and support operations can be viewed in
two broad categories: assistance missions and peace
operations. Assistance missions, both foreign and do-
mestic, include the full range of humanitarian aid and
disaster relief operations. Peace operations include sup-
port to diplomacy, peacekeeping and peace enforce-
ment. This range of missions is addressed in depth in
FM 100-19, Domestic Support Operations, FM 100-
20, Stability and Support Operations and in FM 100-
23, Peace Operations.
40
Success in these operations, whether in peace or
conflict, is measured by principles derived from the
nature of the operation, the most important being the
primacy of the political instrument of national power.
This is the desire to solve problems through political
processes 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 and
the international community.
This is best achieved through coordinated infor-
mation operations. Public affairs, civil affairs and psy-
chological operations use distinct methods and address
distinct audiences, but must all be coordinated to en-
sure common credibility. Information operations are
addressed extensively in FM 100-6, Information Op-
erations.
Missions of both categories, assistance and peace
operations, are media intensive. This media attention,
rather than being viewed as a hindrance, is in fact an
asset. Media reports are often considered more cred-
ible than official pronouncements. They are a primary
conduit for communicating Army goals, capabilities
and accomplishments. Media reports contribute to per-
ceptions of legitimacy, requiring the presentation of
consistent, clear messages about the operation.
Public Affairs Guidance and policy may be deter-
mined by the national command authorities. Public
affairs procedures are often specified in the Terms of
FM 46-1
Reference (TOR) for an operation and are derived from
the operation mandate. TOR describe the mission, com-
mand relationships, organizations and other operation
details.
For example, the TOR for UNOSOM II in Soma-
lia included the instruction that “The U.S. Department
of State will remain the lead agency for public affairs
activities regarding all aspects of U.S. participation in
UNOSOM.”
Support to diplomacy
Military 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 and
preventive diplomacy.
The PA planning, information strategies and me-
dia facilitation operations contribute to the peacemak-
ing process by enhancing key audiences’ knowledge
of 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 forces
abroad as part of a forward presence, military-to-mili-
tary exchanges, routine exercises, and peacetime de-
ployments.
Peace building consists primarily of post-conflict
actions that rebuild civil infrastructures and institutions.
It usually includes military as well as civilian efforts
such as rebuilding physical infrastructures, schools and
medical facilities as well as the restoration of civil
authority.
Preventive diplomacy often involves preventive
deployments, other shows of force, or higher levels of
readiness. Since the intent is to demonstrate U.S. mili-
tary power coupled with resolve and commitment,
extensive, active public affairs activities contribute to
operational effectiveness.
As described in FM 1 00-23, Peace Operations , the
primary differences between peacekeeping (PK) and
peace enforcement (PE) are the operational variables
of consent, force and impartiality.
Consent: In peacekeeping, belligerent parties con-
sent to the presence and operation of peacekeeping
forces, while in peace enforcement, consent is not ab-
solute and force may be used to compel or coerce. In
peacekeeping, consent is clear.
Force: In peacekeeping, force may be used only
in self-defense or defense with a mandate. In peace
enforcement, force is used to compel or coerce.
Impartiality: In peacekeeping impartiality is more
easily maintained, while the nature of peace enforce-
ment strains the perception of impartiality on the part
of the peace enforcement force.
The level of consent, level of force and degree of
impartiality are all variables that may collectively or
individually shift during an operation.
Loss of impartiality can cause loss of consent by
belligerent parties which in turn can trigger violent
actions leading to increased levels of force and a seri-
ous shift from PK to PE. FM 100-23 describes this
change in the nature of the operation as “crossing the
consent divide.”
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping operations are characterized by all
parties consenting to the presence of the peacekeep-
ing force. The mission of the peacekeeping force is to
monitor and maintain a negotiated truce and allow the
facilitation of a diplomatic solution to the political
conflict. Mission success is dependent upon the peace-
keeping force being viewed as impartial by the
belligerents. The safety and security of the peacekeep-
ing force is often contingent upon maintenance of this
impartiality.
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 can
destroy trust of the force and jeopardize not only the
mission but the lives of soldiers.
Peace enforcement
In peace enforcement operations, not all
belligerents may consent to the presence of outside
forces. The intervening force may have to resort to
coersive violence to achieve the mission objectives,
yet must still maintain its impartiality toward all par-
41
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
ties if at all possible. Peace enforcement is likely to be
a United Nations mission integrating military and dip-
lomatic elements.
Success in peace operations requires a political
solution, one that cannot be achieved without the sup-
port of the local populations and faction leaders. This
neccessitates information operations planning ensur-
ing coordination of public affairs, civil affairs and
PSYOP to ensure consistency of command messages
and reinforcement of the impartiality, restraint and
resolve of the force. Public affairs helps ensure that
what is reported in the international media is consis-
tent with what is communicated via PSYOP products
and civil affairs programs.
Since peace operations usually receive intense,
international media attention, participating soldiers
must fully understand that the decisions they make,
and their actions, can have immediate strategic and
political 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 cultural
factors that shape the operation and its context. They
enhance 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, and
FM 100-23, Peace Operations, address the range of
nonconrbat operations in depth.
Noncombatant Evacuations
By 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 and
executing noncombatant evacuation operations.
The Chief of Mission (COM) has authority over
media coverage. The USIS public affairs representa-
tive is responsible for media relations and is the point
of contact for the JTF PAO.
NEO operations often result from dramatic, if not
tragic, circumstances and therefore are of considerable
interest 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 personnel
security
•contribute to public confidence in U.S. procedures
• facilitate open media access to the operation while
exercising sensitivity to the anxiety and despair felt by
the evacuees
•illustrate U.S. forces’ capabilities, readiness and
professionalism
Well publicized American intentions can help pre-
vent interference with the operation, therefore, an in-
formation strategy coordinated by PA, CA and PSYOP
must be developed during initial operational planning.
PA operations can also help reduce rumor and anxiety
within 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 is
responsible for NEO media activities.
A JIB may be established at the NEO operations
center, in which case the JTF PAO coordinates with
the COM for public affairs guidance.
Initial media coverage can be expected to concen-
trate on the people being evacuated and their reactions
to departing the host nation. Coverage can be expected
to then shift to the effectiveness of the military NEO
and the treatment of the evacuees during transport to
their final destination.
Access to and interviews with evacuees will be as
authorized by the senior on-scene State Department
public affairs representative. The JTF PAO and com-
manders concerned will authorize interviews with US
military personnel.
NEO operations are addressed in detail in FM 90-
29 .Noncombatant Evacuation Operations, which also
contains a detailed public affairs plan for a unified com-
mand NEO.
Domestic Support
The Army has long provided a range of services
to the nation through a variety of domestic support
operations. These missions fall into four general cat-
egories: disaster assistance, environmental assistance,
law enforcement and community assistance.
42
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 are
located. Domestic support operations use Army hu-
man and material resources to enhance national secu-
rity and the nation’s overall well-being. They usually
attract considerable media attention and therefore all
have public affairs implications.
These operations, and the restrictions on Army
involvement, are addressed at length in FM 100-19,
Domestic Support Operations.
The media will generally have unrestricted access
to domestic support operations. The Army will usu-
ally conduct these operations in conjunction with other
agencies and will not normally have the lead. Public
affairs operations will be conducted within the re-
straints and guidance developed by the lead agency.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is
usually the lead agency for domestic disaster relief
operations. Following Ffumcane Andrew in 1992, the
Department of Transportation was the lead agency of
a presidential task force that included extensive mili-
tary support. The Joint Information Center (JIC) in
Florida was led by DoT, and staffed by PAOs from 1 3
federal and state agencies and by military public af-
fairs units from the JTF. This included volunteers from
a reserve component Public Affairs Operations Cen-
ter and an active component Mobile Public Affairs De-
tachment.
The JIC staff produced press conference fact
sheets, conducted media escorts and interviews, re-
sponded to media queries, operated a media clipping
section, prepared news briefing summaries for the Sec-
retary of Transportation and logistically supported the
secretary’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 ARFOR
public affairs elements also produced four editions of
an eight-page command information newspaper for the
JTF, and an additional newsletter for the ARFOR.
The JTF PAO, JIC director and the presidential
task force press secretary coordinated strategy for press
conferences as well as the announcements of troop
drawdown and the transition of military to civilian
support.
PA domestic support operations serve to inform
the public of army involvement, goals and capabilities
as well as communicating to internal audiences. Inter-
nal information programs and products enhance the
participating soldiers’ morale as well as their under-
standing of the operation. These products, when given
Army-wide dissemination, also serve to inform other
soldiers who may potentially perform similar missions.
Army public affairs strategies, while executed in
the interest of demonstrating Army responsiveness,
concern and assistance, must not pre-empt the author-
ity of the local government or appear to be taking credit
for success at the expense of other contributing par-
ties.
Since civilian agencies usually have the lead in
domestic support operations, PA plans must be care-
fully coordinated with that agency. These operations
plans must contain clearly defined information release
authority as well as coordination procedures to ensure
consistent messages protect the credibility of the op-
er ation .
This coordination and delineation of release pro-
cedures is of particular importance in sensitive opera-
tions such as anti-terrorism and counter-drug missions
to ensure operational security as well as consistent
command messages.
Public affairs officers must understand the le-
gal restrictions on military support to and involve-
ment in domestic operations, particularly in light of
the varied legal status of National Guard units. For
example, 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 same
units 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 popular
name for these restrictions is the “Posse Comitatus
Act.” Additional federal laws address military support
to counterdrug operations, disaster assistance, and aid
to foreign governments.
43
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
Counterdrug Operations
The supported law enforcement agency retains the
lead for public affairs. Release of information by Army
public affairs must be coordinated with that law enforce-
ment agency. This helps protect operational and per-
sonnel security.
Good public affairs plans include essential elements
of friendly information to identify information that
should not be disclosed for operational security reasons.
Careful planning ensures that methods and capabilities
are not compromised. The identities of soldiers provid-
ing counterdrug support should not be released.
Environmental Support
Army involvement in environmental stewardship
includes maintaining a dialogue with area citizens in
open public forums concerning installation issues and
projects with potential environmental impact. It also
includes providing support to public restoration, con-
servation and protection projects both on installations
and in surrounding communities.
Public involvement is solicited in the spirit of com-
munity, but is also required by federal environmental
law 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 installation
environmental program. Public support or opposition
to projects can significantly affect their outcome. The
best public affairs strategy for environmental issues is
one that is active and adheres to the principle of “maxi-
mum disclosure with minimum delay.” Early public
involvement via open discussion of issues fosters posi-
tive relations with the community and can prevent or
help 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 and
preparing plans for meeting the public involvement re-
quirements associated with environmental programs. PA
responsibilities include issuing releases and public an-
nouncements on issues such as environmental assess-
ments and impact statements, decision documents and
notices of public meetings. They extend to conducting
public 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 program
is not designed to sell a particular action or program
nor to obscure or cover up situations with potentially
negative implications.
Community Assistance
Community 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 contributions
to the nation and they can be local efforts focused on
improving the local community. A PAO’s close rela-
tionship with civic leaders and organizations is a valu-
able asset to the commander in planning community
assistance projects.
The public’s impressions of Army support to the
community is largely shaped by what is reported in
the 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 domestic
support planning and operations.
FM 100-19, Chapter 8, provides an extensive
overview of these programs. They are all guided by
the core public affairs process “maintain community
relations.” S
44
FM 46-1
Chapter 6
Personnel and
Organizations
P ublic Affairs organizations arc built around a force
of soldiers and Army civilians who are selected
and trained to articulate the goals and missions of the
Army. 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 the
total public affairs force and 85 percent of the
deployable TOE unit structure is positioned in the U.S.
Army Reserve and Army National Guard. These re-
serve units and personnel must be seamlessly integrated
with the active component and focused on supporting
the overall Army goals and objectives.
Personnel
Officers serve in Functional Area (FA) 46; enlisted
soldiers and noncommissioned officers in Career Man-
agement Field (CMF) 46; and Department of the Army
Civilians serve in career series GS-1035 and GS-1082.
These public affairs personnel are assigned to TOE
and TDA positions throughout the active and reserve
components.
Functional Area 46
Public affairs officers receive extensive training
in public affairs principles, tactics, techniques and pro-
cedures at the Defense Information School and through
the Army Correspondence Course Program. This com-
bination of military and public affairs expertise en-
ables PAOs to support the Army, their commander and
the command. Once accessed into Public Affairs, ac-
tive component officers alternate between basic branch
and public affairs assignments, although there are lim-
ited opportunities for officers to single track in FA 46.
Reserve component officers assigned to Troop Pro-
gram Units (TPU) also move through basic branch and
public affairs assignments, based on the command’s
needs and geographical availability. Active Guard/
Reserve (AGR) officers are encouraged to single track
after reaching the rank of major.
Career Management Field 46
Soldiers enlisting in CMF 46 receive their ad-
vanced individual training at the Defense Information
School. Reserve component soldiers meet the same ba-
sic and advanced educational requirements through the
Defense Information School, the Army Correspon-
dence Course Program and additional resident courses.
Career series GS-1035, 1082
Department of the Army Civilians are key mem-
bers of the active and reserve component public af-
fairs force. Concentrated in the TDA force, they serve
in both leadership and specialty skill assignments such
as installation, garrison, state and Regional Support
Command public affairs officers and specialists.
Foreign National Employees
Overseas, local nationals are employed in a vari-
ety of public affairs positions to provide continuity,
linguistic experience and community relations skills
to all levels of public affairs operations.
The Office of the Chief of
Public Affairs
The Office of the Chief of Public Affairs (OCPA)
is established by Title 10, United States Code para-
45
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
graph 3014, and is designated by the Secretary of the
Army 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, plans
and programs for the active and reserve components
of the U.S. Army. He or she is responsible to the Sec-
retary of the Army (S A) and responsive to the Chief of
Staff, Army.
The CPA has Department of the Army (DA) re-
sponsibility for preparing, coordinating and monitor-
ing the worldwide implementation of Army Public
Affairs strategies, plans, policies and programs for in-
ternal and external information. He or she also has DA
responsibility for:
• developing public affairs plans and programs to
support 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 ou tside Departmen t of Defense by the
Army Secretariat (OSA) and the Army Staff
(ARSTAFF),
•managing the OSA and ARSTAFF public affairs
program,
•operational control of the U.S. Army Field Band,
• operational control of the Army Broadcasting
Sendee, and
•serving as the proponent for all public affairs is-
sues across doctrine, training, leader development,
organization, materiel, soldier support (DTLOMS).
Public Affairs TOE
Organizations
Separate public affairs TOE units augment organic
PA sections at Army, coips and division. They also
operate autonomously when the situation dictates. The
separate public affairs TOE units establish media cen-
ters to facilitate media operations, conduct public af-
fairs planning and training, and produce information
products for internal and external audiences. Public
affairs TOE units are predominantly positioned in the
U.S. Army Reserve and Army National Guard but are
seamlessly integrated with warfighting commanders
through the War Trace. Units are available as support
packages to armies, corps, and divisions, as well as to
joint task forces and commanders supporting U.S. mul-
tinational operations.
• Public Affairs Operations
Center (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 establish
and sustain field operations in support of joint, uni-
fied, special or Army force command requirements.
Once under the command and control of a coips or
army PAO, Joint Information Bureau (JIB) or Allied
Press Information Center (APIC) director, the PAOC
will command and control all attached MPADs, BODs
and PADs to perform public affairs operations.
Assignment
One per unified, specified command, joint task
force, corps, and TAACOM.
Capabilities
The PAOC is commanded by a lieutenant colonel
and is modularly organized, staffed, trained and
equipped to rapidly deploy in support of military op-
erations. The PAOC has personnel and equipment to:
•conduct PA planning and analysis for the ARFOR
or JTF commander.
•develop information strategies and campaigns in
support of operations.
•support the Hometown News Release program.
•support higher echelon public affairs require-
ments for information, media facilitation, planning and
training.
•be technologically capable to serve as the base
force to support ARFOR or Joint PA media cen ter op-
erations.
•tactically communicate to public affairs units at
echelons above brigade and all supported combat units
in the operational area.
•provide sendees and facilities for media repre-
sentatives in support of national, multinational, uni-
fied or joint operations.
•monitor international and national television news
for 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
46
FM 46-1
separate locations in and around the area of opera-
tions with organic vehicles.
Basis of Allocation
The PAOC is available to unified and specified
CinCs and combined commanders to form JIBs or
APICs in unified/combined operations. The PAOC
provides the unified, joint or ARFOR commander,
through the PAO, an organic, substantial, flexible pub-
lic affairs force, capable of performing all core public
affairs processes. When deployed in support of Army
operations the PAOC will be augmented by a BOD
and one MPAD. The PAOC is further augmented by
one MPAD per three brigade- size units in the opera-
tion when those units do not have separate PA sup-
port.
•Mobile Public Affairs
Detachment (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.
Assignment
The Mobile Public Affairs Detachment is com-
manded by a major, can be task organized into two or
three teams, and is assigned to the theater, coips or
JTF headquarters under the operational and tactical
control of the senior public affairs officer or PAOC
commander.
Capabilities
The MPAD is staffed, trained and equipped to rap-
idly deploy in support of brigade, division or corps
size task force operations, with personnel and equip-
ment to:
•conduct PA planning and analysis for the ARFOR
or JTF commander.
•develop information strategies and campaigns in
support of operations.
•support higher echelon Public Affairs require-
ments for information, media facilitation, planning and
training.
•be technologically capable to serve as the base
force to support ARFOR media operations.
•provide sendees 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 external
media messages.
•evaluate and conduct public affairs training pro-
grams for the JTF.
•tactically communicate to public affairs units at
echelons above brigade and all supported combat units
in the operational area.
•establish a branch PA section at a subordinate
unit.
•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 affairs
programs.
•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 elements
with information products produced by the detachmen t.
•ground transport personnel, equipment, media to
separate locations in and around the area of opera-
tions with organic vehicles.
Basis of Allocation
MPADs are assigned at a ratio of one per three
brigade size elements assigned to the division, corps
or joint task force they support. Theater Army head-
quarters elements are assigned one MPAD in support
of their mission. TAACOMs when augmented by a
PAOC are assigned one MPAD per three brigades in
the TAACOM. MPADs are allocated to coips or divi-
sion level operations on a one MPAD per three com-
bat brigade allocation rule. A mi nimum of two MPADs
are assigned to the PAOC at unified, specified or JTF
headquarters.
47
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
•Broadcast Operations
Detachment (BOD)
Mission
The Broadcast Operations Detachment (SRC
45607x000) provides direct radio broadcast support to
theater and joint task force units deployed in support
of combined or joint operations. When operating with
and augmented by the Army Broadcast Service it can
extend AFRTS television service.
Assignment
The BOD is assigned to and augments the PAOC
at the unified or specified command or joint task force
headquarters, or alternatively operates under the con-
trol of the supporting ABS network commander.
Capabilities
The BOD is commanded by a major and consists
of a command element, two broadcast teams and a
maintenance team. The BOD is modularly organized,
staffed, trained and equipped to rapidly deploy. The
unit operates a separate radio broadcast operation to
support theater level operations. The BOD has person-
nel and equipment to:
• support higher echelon public affairs planning
and information strategy requirements.
•operate a 24-hour-a-day internal information
over-the-air radio broadcast sendee.
•perform limited digital video and audio electronic
news gathering in the theater of operations.
•provide limited post production sendees for au-
dio card video news feature material supplied in
unedited 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 means
of communications when tactical communications are
not adequate or not available.
Basis of Allocation
The BOD is available to theater or joint task force
commanders to provide theater internal information
broadcast services. One BOD is assigned to the PAOC
at the unified or specified or joint task force headquar-
ters.
•Public Affairs
Detachment (PAD)
Mission
The Public Affairs Detachment (SRC 45500x000 )
provides direct public affairs support to units deployed
in support of combined or joint operations.
Assignment
Public Affairs Detachments are assets of the coips
or JTF headquarters allocated in sufficient quantities
to cover the elements of the task force or coips level
operation. PADs are under the operational and tactical
control of the corps PAO or Public Affairs Operations
Center.
Capabilities
The 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 equipment
to:
•conduct PA planning for the task force/brigade
commander.
•develop information strategies and campaigns in
support of operations.
•support higher echelon public affairs require-
ments for information , media facilitation, planning and
training.
•be technologically capable to serve as a stand-
alone, forward deployed subordinate PA media opera-
tions center.
•provide sendees 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 protect
public affairs information in support of the operation.
•evaluate and conduct public affairs training pro-
grams for the JTF.
•tactically communicate to public affairs units at
echelons above brigade and all supported combat units
in the operational area.
•ground transport personnel, equipment, media to
separate locations in and around the area of opera-
tions with organic vehicles.
•support the Hometown News Sendee program.
48
FM 46-1
Basis of Allocation
The corps PAO or PAOC commander assigns
PADs to support division, separate brigade, combat
brigade / brigade task forces, armored cavalry regi-
ments, medical brigades in the theater of operation.
When requested, PADs augment Special Operation
Forces.
Organic
Public Affairs Sections
Public affairs sections are embedded in the head-
quarters of separate brigades, divisions and echelons
above division. These sections provide public affairs
support to the command and serve as the commander’s
principal advisor on public affairs issues. Ranging
from a single senior noncommissioned officer to a
colonel with a small staff these sections, conduct pub-
lic affairs planning and limited operations. Personnel
and materiel constraints require that these organic PA
sections be augmented by separate public affairs TOE
units for most operations.
•Theater Army
Public Affairs Section
Mission
Theater Army public affairs sections (SRC
5100x000) provide public affairs support to the The-
ater Army commander and to units assigned or aligned
to the Army, training for, mobilized or deployed in
support of combined or joint operations. The Army
PAO has operational and tactical control over all pub-
lic affairs TOE organizations aligned or attached di-
rectly to the Army headquarters and coordinates closely
with organic PA sections within coips, divisions, and
other forces to carry out public affairs operations.
Capabilities
The Theater Army PAO is a colonel and serves on
the commanding general’s personal/special staff. The
PA section is organized, staffed, trained and equipped
to rapidly deploy in support of Theater Army level op-
erations. The Army PA section has personnel and
equipment to:
• conduct public affairs planning and analysis for
the commander.
•develop information strategies and campaigns in
support of operations.
•provide sendees and facilities, when augmented
by 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 and
training.
•tactically communicate to public affairs units at
echelons above and below corps and all supported
combat units in the operational area.
•provide limited ground transportation for person-
nel, equipment, media in and around the area of op-
eration.
Required Augmentation
When deployed, the Army Fleadquarters public
affairs staff will be augmented by an MPAD and will
assume all the missions and capabilities of that orga-
nization.
•Theater Army Area
Command PA Section
Mission
TAACOM public affairs sections (SRC 63612L00)
provide public affairs support to the TAACOM com-
mander and to units assigned or aligned to the
TAACOM, training for, mobilized or deployed in sup-
port of national, multinational, combined, unified or
joint operations.
Capabilities
The TAACOM PAO is a lieutenant colonel and
serves on the personal/special staff of the TAACOM
commander. The section is organized, staffed, trained
and equipped to rapidly deploy in support of opera-
tions. The section has personnel and equipment to:
•conduct public affairs planning and analysis for
the TAACOM Commander.
•develop information strategies and campaigns in
support of operations.
•acquire, process, distribute, and protect informa-
tion for the internal and external audience when aug-
mented by a PAOC and MPADs.
•provide sendees and facilities, when augmen ted
by a PAOC and three MPADs, for media representa-
tives in support of national, multinational, unified or
joint operations.
•support higher echelon public affairs require-
49
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
merits for information, media facilitation, planning and
training.
•tactically communicate to public affairs units at
echelons above and below corps and all supported
combat units in the operational area.
•ground transport personnel, equipment, media in
and around the area of operation.
•support the Hometown News Release program.
Required Augmentation
When deployed the TAACOM is augmented by a
PAOC and up to three MPADs.
•Corps
Public Affairs Section
Mission
The corps public affairs section (SRC 52401x000)
provides public affairs support to the corps commander
and to coips units to the coips, training for, mobilized
or deployed in support of combined or joint operations.
The corps PAO exercises operational control of or-
ganic PA units as authorized by the coips commander
and coordinates closely with the PA sections of sub-
ordinate units to carry out public affairs operations.
Capabilities
The coips PAO is a lieutenant colonel or a colonel
and serves as a staff officer on the personal/special
staff of the coips commander, and leads a small public
affairs section within the corps headquarters. The sec-
tion is organized, staffed, trained and equipped to rap-
idly deploy in support of operations. The section has
personnel and equipment to:
•conduct public affairs planning and analysis for
the ARFOR, Corps or JTF Commander.
•develop information strategies and campaigns in
support of operations.
•acquire, process, distribu te, 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 and
training.
•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 sendees 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 at
echelons above and below corps and all 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 light truck platoon capable
of the coordination and transport of up to 240 media
representatives.
•when augmented by a Public Affairs Operations
Center with a Broadcast Operations Detachment, the
corps PAO can establish and maintain a 24-hour a
day over-the-air radio broadcast facility to provide
information to the interned audience.
•when augmen ted by an MPAD and PADs, capable
of providing public affairs support to medical brigade-
size organizations within the corps.
•support the Hometown News Release program.
Basis of Allocation
Coips public affairs sections are organic to each
Army corps.
Required Augmentation
When deployed, the coips public affairs sections
will be augmented by a PAOC. It is also augmented
by one MPAD for every three combat brigades (infan-
try armor, aviation, artillery, etc.) in the task force, as
well as one MPAD for COSCOM augmentation. These
units count as the PAOC and division’s allocation for
PA augmentation for combat brigades. Additionally,
the corps medical brigade, when deployed, will receive
PA support from one MPAD and two PADs.
•Corps Support Command
Public Affairs Section
Mission
COSCOM public affairs sections (SRC 63431x000,
50
FM 46-1
63412x000) provide public affairs support to the
COSCOM commander and to units assigned or aligned
to the COSCOM, training for mobilized or deployed
in support of combined or joint operations. The
COSCOM PAO has operational and tactical control
over all public affairs TOE organizations aligned or
attached directly to the COSCOM and coordinates
closely with embedded PA sections within corps, di-
visions, and other forces to carry out PA operations.
Capabilities
The COSCOM PAO is a major and serves on the
personal/special staff of the COSCOM commander.
The PA staff section is organized, staffed, trained and
equipped to rapidly deploy in support of COSCOM
and task force operations. The COSCOM PAO has
personnel and equipment to:
•conduct PA planning for the COSCOM or JTF
commander.
•develop information strategies and campaigns in
support of operations.
•support higher echelon Public Affairs require-
ments for information, media facilitation, planning and
training.
•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 of
operations.
•process digital images and information into prod-
ucts.
•distribute digital images and products to the
PAOC or JIB for distribution to a variety of mediums.
•protect digital images, information products and
information systems from compromise and in trusion .
•provide public affairs support to the G5 / S5 for
the development and implementation of civil affairs
programs.
•evaluate and conduct public affairs training pro-
grams for the COSCOM or JTF.
•tactically communicate to public affairs units at
echelons above division, augmenting the division and
all supported combat units in the operational area.
•transport personnel, equipment, media in and
around the area of operation.
•support the Hometown News Release program.
Required Augmentation
When deployed, the COSCOM PA staff will be
augmented by an MPAD.
•Division
Public Affairs Section
Mission
The division public affairs section ( SRC
57004x000, 67004x000, 77004x000, 8700x000) pro-
vides public affairs support to the division commander
and 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 one
MPAD per three combat brigades. The division public
affairs section, when augmented by a Public Affairs
Detachment, operates the division media operations
center.
Assignment
One public affairs staff section per division.
Capabilities
The division public affairs officer is a major or a
lieutenant colonel and serves on the personal/special
staff of the division commander. The staff section is
organized, staffed, trained and equipped to rapidly
deploy in support of brigade and division size task force
operations. The division public affairs section has the
personnel and equipment to:
•conduct PA planning and analysis for the com-
mander.
•develop information strategies and campaigns in
support of operations.
•support higher echelon public affairs require-
ments for information, media facilitation, planning and
training.
•be technologically capable to serve as a stand-
alone, forward deployed, hasty PA media operations
center.
•when augmented by a PAD, provide services and
facilities for media representatives in support of na-
tional, multinational, unified or joint operations.
51
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
•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 and
information systems from compromise and intrusion.
•provide public affairs support to the G5 / 55 for
the development and implementation of civil affairs
programs.
•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 at
echelons above division, augmenting the division and
all 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 Allocation
Public affairs sections are organic to each divi-
sion headquarters.
Required Augmentation
When deployed, the division public affairs staff
section is augmented by one MPAD per three combat
brigades, and one PAD.
•Brigade
Public Affairs Section
Mission
The brigade or separate brigade public affairs
section (SRC07 402x000 , 11402x000, 11612x00,
19672x000, 34602x000, 44412x000, 87 102x000) pro-
vides public affairs support to combat or separate bri-
gades, or brigade level task forces deployed in support
of combined or joint operations.
Assignment
One public affairs staff section per brigade task
force or separate brigade.
Capabilities
The brigade task force or separate brigade public
affairs officer is a captain and serves on the special
staff of the brigade commander. The staff section is
organized, 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 the
commander.
•develop limited information strategies and cam-
paigns in support of operations.
•support higher echelon public affairs require-
ments for information, media facilitation, planning and
training.
•acquire, process, distribu te, 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 a
PAD.
•tactically communicate to public affairs units at
echelons above and below JTF or brigade level and
all 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 Augmentation
When deployed as a brigade size task force or joint
task force, the brigade PA section will be augmented
by one PAD.
DA Public Affairs Internal
Information Agencies
Army News Service
ARNEWs is the Army’s wire service for internal
information products serving more than 250 military
52
FM 46-1
newspapers around the world. Available through
OCPA’s electronic bulletin board PA Link and other
electronic sources, ARNEWS supports the internal in-
formation requirements of commanders through elec-
tronic distribution of “wide-interest” news.
Soldiers Radio and Television
SRTV provides time sensitive news and internal
information to all Army personnel — military, Army
civilians, their families — at CONUSand overseas
Army installations by the most efficient and effective
use of electronic media.
Soldiers Magazine
The 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 about
the Army-to inform active and reserve component
soldiers, civilian employees and family members about
their Army in an informative and entertaining way,
focusing on Army people, what the Army is doing
around the world, new equipment, new policies, trends
and ideas.
Soldiers Online
This electronic ‘companion service’ to Soldiers
magazine provides additional news and feature mate-
rial as well as most of the magazine’s content on a
World Wide Web homepage.
Army Reserve Magazine
The official magazine for the U.S. Army Reserve
is published and distributed quarterly to the homes of
600,000 members of Army Reserve troop program
units. Individual Ready Reservists and Individual Mo-
bilization Augmentees. Also available electronically,
the magazine provides members of the Army Reserve
and their families with information about Army policy,
news and feature stories relating to to the U.S. Army
Reserve and America’s Army.
Hometown News Service
The Army and Air Force Hometown News Ser-
vice is a field operating activity of the Chief of Public
Affairs. Its mission is to build and implement plans
and programs worldwide to increase and strengthen
the ties between citizens and service members. This
involves the annual production and generation of print
and 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 United
States and its territories for the Chief of Public Affairs
to showcase the quality of today’s soldiers, their train-
ing and worldwide missions. Through this vehicle the
American public is informed of the positive aspects of
the soldier, the unit, and the Army while enhancing
recruiting and retention through reinforcement of unit
pride and morale.
Army National Guard
TDA Public Affairs
The National Guard in each state, territory and the
District 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 of
that state, typically as a member of the Adjutant
General’s personal staff. These individuals work in a
joint environment on Army and Air National Guard
matters for their state. They have responsibility for all
functions of public affairs in their state as it applies to
the National Guard federal mission (weekend train-
ing, annual training, overseas deployments, activations
for federal service, etc.) and state mission (responding
to 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 needs
of their National Guard.
Numbered TOE public affairs units include Pub-
lic Affairs Operations Centers, Mobile Public Affairs
Detachments and Public Affairs Detachments. In ad-
dition to conducting routine training for their federal
wartime missions, these units perform critical public
affairs functions when the National Guard is called to
state active duty. These units operate joint informa-
tion bureaus and provide media operations capability
to governors and other key state officials.
States also may have public affairs elements as
part of the TDA of their State Headquarters. While
there are some restrictions on overall number and
grades, states are free to set the size and rank structure
of their State Headquarters public affairs element to
meet the geographic and troop strength needs of that
state. As with a TOE public affairs unit, TDA public
affairs members have a federal and state mission.
53
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
U.S. Army Reserve
TDA Public Affairs
Major TDA organizations include the U.S. Army
Reserve Command, a major subordinate headquarters
of 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 AGR
major. The PA element advises the commander and
staff on public affairs issues and provides organiza-
tional and garrison public affairs support, including
media operations, internal information and commu-
nity relations operations, and the production of infor-
mation products such as newspapers. The RSCs and
ARCOMs provide command and control responsibili-
ties to TOE public affairs units during inactive duty
for training.
Numbered TOE public affairs units include Pub-
lic Affairs Operations Centers, Broadcast Operations
Detachments, Mobile Public Affairs Detachments and
Public Affairs Detachments.
DoD PA Internal
Information Agencies
Joint Combat Camera
The deployment of joint combat camera teams
offers the joint force commander a sophisticated ca-
pability to enhance both operational and public affairs
missions. The still and video images obtained provide
a balance of useful operational information and once
cleared for OPSEC, products for distribution to news
media representatives and military public affairs or-
ganizations. Combat camera teams often have access
to events and areas unavailable to news media repre-
sentatives and military journalists. They bring with
them a technological capability allowing for the timely
transmission of images from the military information
environment. Since deployed COMCAM teams sup-
port the entire spectrum of an operation, it is essential
that public affairs imagery requirements be identified
and prioritized throughout the planning cycle.
The American Forces Information Service
AFIS is responsible to the Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Public Affairs for the management, op-
eration, evaluation and control of internal information
at the Office of the Secretary of Defense level and
serves the needs of the military departments unified
commands and other components. This includes man-
agement and/or oversight of a range of activities and
organizations including the Armed Forces Radio and
Television Service, American Forces Press Service,
Current News and Analysis Branch, the Defense In-
formation School and the Visual Information Direc-
torate.
Armed Forces
Radio and Television Service
AFRTS is the principal operational element of the
American Forces Information Service. The AFRTS
mission is to provide radio and television news, sports,
information and entertainment programming to DoD
personnel 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 and
heard in the United States, and are provided without
censorship, propagandizing, or manipulation. AFRTS
exercises no control over the content of program ma-
terial, but deletes commercials and replaces them with
DoD internal information and other public service spot
announcements of interest to DoD personnel and their
family members. All programs are acquired and dis-
tributed by the AFRTS Broadcast Center at March
AFB, CA.
Army Broadcasting Service
The Chief of Public Affairs, through the Army
Broadcasting Service (ABS) acts for the SA in execut-
ing the Secretary’s responsibility as DoD Executive
Agent for AFRTS operations in geographic areas des-
ignated as the responsibility of the Army.
The Army Broadcasting Service is responsible for
managing and controlling all resources necessary to
operate and maintain U. S. Army Armed Forces Radio
and Television Service (AFRTS) outlets. Army Broad-
54
FM 46-1
casting Service insures that U. S. Army OCONUS ra-
dio and television outlets are responsive to the needs
of major commanders, providing internal information,
news and entertainment to military and DoD civilian
personnel 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 annual
and overseas training and support for reserve compo-
nent Broadcast Operation Detachments, and plans and
designs information strategies and public affairs cam-
paigns supporting theater PAO and CINC command
information directives. S
55
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
Chapter 7
Employment and
Support of PA Forces
O rganic 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 and
individual soldiers positioned in the U.S. Army Re-
serve and Army National Guard. These augmenting
assets are available to commanders at all levels as part
of force packages, as separate units for selected mis-
sions and as individual public affairs soldiers.
The types of units and individuals provided will
vary depending on the mission, the force mix required,
the forces available, and whether the support is for a
training event, exercise or operational contingency. In
most cases, active and reserve component public af-
fairs assets are available year-around for both short
notice deployments and for scheduled training events.
Commanders must realize that augmentation and sup-
port is available in the type, quantity and timeliness
required, but must plan and request accordingly.
In all cases, requests are forwarded through CINC
channels to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or through
MACOM chains of command to HQDA. Headquar-
ters, DA DCSOPS receives requests from JCS or a
MACOM, evaluates mission requirements, determines
the most appropriate component, then tasks the proper
agency or MACOM for forces.
Public affairs issues and requirements should be
addressed 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.
56
If the mission is in support of a recurring exercise
or other requirement, planning for reserve component
support should be accomplished 18 to 24 months in
advance. PA planners must ensure they provide their
commander with a thorough, complete, and realistic
appraisal of their requirements and options.
Employment of PA units
Public affairs units are organized as Public Affairs
Operations Centers (PAOC), Mobile Public Affairs
Detachments (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 widest
variety of contingency operations. MPADs are de-
ployed either in direct support to a PAO or as augmen-
tation to a PAOC.
Public Affairs
Operations Center
The PAOC is a gaining command, augmented with
two or more MPADs for duty within media centers,
Joint Information Bureaus or Allied Press Information
Centers. 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 mission
capable without MPADand BOD augmentation. The
PAOC sections - administration and support, registra-
tion, briefing, escort and production/marketing - are
staffed at the cadre level, and require augmentation of
46As, 46Qs, 46Rs and 46Zs from the MPADs. The
FM 46-1
BOD provides 24-hour-over-the-air radio broadcast
capability.
The PAOC forms the nucleus of a media support
center, and is responsible to the gaining command PAO
and his commander for facilitating media coverage of
operations. 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 such
as communications, billeting, messing and transporta-
tion.
The production/marketing section of the PAOC
acts as a clearing house for electronic, print, still pho-
tographic and audio-visual products from all sources
assigned or attached to the gaining command PAO.
The PAOC post production staff, depending on the
level of operations, provides professional support (ed-
iting, scripting, etc.) for all acquisition efforts; pro-
vides quality control checks of products; coordinates
all command requirements for products (to include pro-
viding photo, audio and video products to the media)
and markets and moves products to the rear (CONUS
or higher level JIB/media center) in support of rear
area commanders with public information, command
information and community relations requirements.
Public Affairs Operations Center augmentation is
determined by the mission, however a minimum of
two MPADs should augment the PAOC, with addi-
tional MPADs, and a BOD assigned as the operational
situation 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, Flometown News Center and other military media
elements. Augmenting MPADs may provide teams for
full unit replacements to the PAO when direct support
MPADs require personnel replacement or refit. PAOC
and augmenting MPADs may provide a maintenance
“float” for forward deployed direct support MPADs.
The PAOC commander may establish additional
sections and elements to meet special requirements
such as operations, transportation, maintenance, ser-
vice support and marketing.
Public Affairs Operations Centers are positioned
in the U.S. Army Reserve and Army National Guard.
Mobile Public Affairs
Detachments
Although the personnel, structure and equipment
of MPADs are constant, their employment requires
each to train to a Mission Essential Task List (METL)
for distinct yet related and interchangeable missions.
MPADs in Direct Support
An MPAD in direct support of a gaining command
PAO provides primary acquisition capability for print,
audio and video.
Unlike augmenting MPADs which report to the
PAOC, the MPADs in direct support are not oriented
solely on media facilitation. Their mission is to sup-
port the PAO with the following capabilities —
•write, edit, design and produce the supported
unit’s internal information products
•acquire, edit and produce print information fact
sheets, 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 teams
equipped for product acquisition
Additionally, MPADs in direct support can expand
the 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 establish
media centers.
MPADs Augmenting a PAOC
The 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 personnel
can expect to be assigned to a variety of positions within
the media center structure.
Administration: Unit clerks may be assigned to a
consolidated administrative section.
Escort Section: Officers and senior NCOs should
expect escort duty even though assigned to other PAOC
sections. Unit vehicles will augment PAOC organic
capability for escort purposed.
Briefing Section: Officers, NCOs and soldiers
may augment the briefing section. Audio/visual equip-
ment and other briefing support equipment may be
57
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPERATIONS
assigned to the briefing section.
Production/Marketing Section: All personnel
may be assigned to the production/marketing section
to produce and market a variety of products in support
of the media, and in support of the PAO’s internal and
external information efforts.
MPAD operational considerations
The gaining PAO must clearly outline the missions
and responsibilities of MPADs in direct support as well
as those augmenting the Public Affairs Operations
Center. MPADs must be prepared to deploy and es-
tablish initial media operations centers . Public affairs
teams from direct support MPADs must be carefully
controlled to ensure maximum acquisition and produc-
tion capability. They may be rotated on a regular basis
to facilitate acquisition, production and refitting for
future operations.
Final production of external information products
may be accomplished by the PAOC production/mar-
keting section. MPAD personnel must work closely
with 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 operates
within the division operations cell as the division PAOs
representative. MPAD commanders retain command
of their teams while they are under the operational
control of the brigade.
Public affairs teams deployed forward to lower unit
level 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 Electronic
News Gathering (ENG) capability in support of
AFRTS ; and augment AFRTS or merge with other in-
dependent facilities to form a theater of operations
network.
BODs are assigned to the PAOC supporting the
Theater Army, but operate with the senior theater PAO
in one or more mission configurations.
BODs may obtain electronic products from PAOCs
and MPADs, and provide produced electronic prod-
ucts through the PAOC. BODs have no organic broad-
cast capability, and must rely on in-theater, or Army
Broadcast Service equipment.
Broadcast Operation Detachments are positioned
in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Public Affairs Detachment
Public Affairs Detachments are assigned to divi-
sions, separate brigades and armored cavalry regiments
to provide expanded public affairs capability to their
limited organic PA staff. They provide direct public
affairs 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 escort
capability.
Public Affairs Detachments are positioned in the
active 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 supporting
commander.
Personnel
Non-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.
Transportation
Public affairs elements have limited organic trans-
portation assets, intended to enable public affairs per-
sonnel to move themselves and their equipment about
the area of operations. In many situations, these or-
ganic assets will not be sufficient to support even this
basic requirement. When media activity and public
58
FM 46-1
interest in an operation is high, this limited capability
will 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 elements
will commonly require access to additional tactical
vehicles. Additionally, critical time-sensitive events
requiring a rapid PA response, especially when they
occur in remote locations, will require air transporta-
tion assets.
PA operations will frequently involve transport-
ing journalists and their equipment. Although media
representatives may have their own transportation as-
sets, unit commanders may authorize travel in Army
vehicles. The Army goal of providing access to op-
erations, units and personnel is best accomplished by
providing representatives with transportation or travel
support. Providing transportation to media represen-
tatives will usually be accomplished by the supported
unit. In other situations, PA operations will receive
support from command transportation units.
Sustainment and other logistics support
Public 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, food
service 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 are
unable to make arrang
…[truncated]