At War in Afghanistan:The Military and the Media

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BLUF

Public Affairs can help

win or lose wars—

success results from

the actions of

commanders and their

PAOs

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Introduction LTC Bryan Hilferty, 10th Mtn

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PA Mission deployed

IO instead of MR

To help meet the combatant commander’s IO objectives

NOT just to inform American public and soldier’s families

(Although this is a byproduct of complete, accurate, and timely release of information)

IO is focused outward with an additional audience

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METT-T

Mission

Conduct deployed public affairs in order

to meet the combatant commander‟s IO

objectives

Enemy—Audiences

Terrain

Troops Available

Time

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Mission

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Mission

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METT-T

Mission

Enemy—Audiences

Commanders

Soldiers

Media

Coalition public

Afghanistan

The third world and Muslim population

Terrain

Troops Available

Time

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METT-T

Mission

Enemy—Audiences

Terrain

Bombed out hell hole

Things aint been going well PAOwise

Troops Available

Time

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Welcome to the war on terrorism story, where journalists have faced two options: travel solo into a region so lawless and dangerous that eight journalists were killed over the course of 17 days in November (more fatalities than the U.S. military had suffered up to that point), or play by the rules of a Pentagon determined to delay and limit access to the conflict.Nina Easton, American Journalism Review, March 2002

I think it’s just unspeakable what the military is doing to journalists in the Afghan conflict. I don’t believe any meaningful reporting has come out of the U.S. military, vis-à-vis its war in Afghanistan. None. None!Christiane Amanpour, Proceedings, April 2002

More so than during any major war in American history, journalists here have been left to their own devices, left literally and figuratively to take their chances in freezing cars outside the protection of the U.S. military cocoon.

Peter Baker, AJR, May 2002

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METT-T

Mission

Enemy—Audiences

Terrain

Troops Available

10th Mountain Division PAO (-)

314th Press Camp Headquarters (-)

Every non-SOF soldier in Afghanistan

Time

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METT-T

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History

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We are good guys

doing good things

for a good reason

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METT-T

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METT-T

Mission

Enemy—Audiences

Terrain

Troops Available

Time

2 weeks

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History

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METT-T

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Constraints

SAPP

OPSEC

Current and future Ops

“At no time will risk to my soldiers be

outweighed by embedded media”

Can‟t issue written releases

314th PCH is “TACON”

People who don‟t exist

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OGAs etc.

This is some weird stuff," joked an Army officer who coordinates air strikes. "Some guy in jeans and a beard comes up to me and hands me a scrap of paper with grid coordinates scrawled on it and says, `Here, go kill this target.' And I go, `Who are you?' And he says, `Billy.' And I go, „All right!‟

In truth, requests for close air support and other protective fire are meticulously cross-checked with the entire staff and with units in the field.

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IPB Oct

1st Battalion 87th Infantry, 10th Mtn Div to Uzbekistan

Nov-Dec

10th Mtn troops to Mazar E Sharif and Bagram

Marines at Camp Rhino

101st to Kandahar

Jan

314 PCH in Kuwait and at Kandahar and MES

Feb

10th Mtn HQ to Bagram

Anaconda prep

101st from Kandahar to Bagram

March to June

CJTF-Mtn at Bagram/314PCH at Kandahar

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History

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History

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History

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ALI KHEYL

KHOWST AF

GARDEZ

SHKIN

BAGRAM AF

KABUL AF

QANDAHAR AF

MAZAR E SHARIF AF

K2

MIRAM SHAW AF, PK

PARACHINAR AF, PK

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KNOWN LOCATIONS, OBJ

OBJ

Remington

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MARZAK

BABUKHEL

SERKHANKHEL

GREEN AREAS SUITABLE FOR HLZs

SERKHANKHEL POTENTIAL HLZs

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D-1 TO D•SENIOR LEADERS EXFIL NORTH ON RATLINES TO AVOID KK, ZK, TF-64

•MAIN BODY REMAINS

•DEPLOY SOME MAIN BODY TO CAVES, UGF

•MOST OF MAIN BODY IN VILLAGES WITH CIVILIANS

TRIGGERS FOR EVICTION OF CIVILIANS

AND MAIN BODY MVMT:

-RAK AASLT EARLY D-DAY

-ZIA SP FROM GARDEZ D-DAY

120 mm

SA 7

SA 7

SA 7120 mm

SA 7

Sr Ldr

LOOKING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH

OBJ

Remington

Sr Ldr

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120 mm

SA 7

DShK

SA 7

120 mm

LOOKING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH

OBJ

Remington

DShK

120 mm

120 mm

120 mm

120 mm

120 mm

120 mm

120 mm

120 mm

120 mm

120 mm

120 mm

AQ

AQ

•NLT D-1, CONFIRMED APPROX 400 ENEMY IN SHAHI KHOWT

•IMU DEPLOYS TO BP‟S, CONDUCT PCCs, FINAL PREP OF PRE-EMPLACED

& PRE-REGISTERED MORTARS & DShK

•AQ REINFORCEMENTS MOVE IN BEFORE & IMMEDIATELY AFTER AASLT

•SURPRISES: ENEMY FIGHTS IN MTNS VICE EXFILTRATING; ZERO USE OF

MINES, BOOBY TRAPS;

TOWED ARTY IN TRI-CITIES

D-1 TO D

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Keys to Success

Speak the cdr's language

they is military so use military

language/MDMP etc.

If they were CEOs, should use

financial language

Stress OPSEC

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Classified forces and IO

PAG-Don’t say nuttin to nobody

Don’t understand about hiding in

plain sight

Strategic, operational, and political

implications

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U.S. Forces Kill 5 In An Afghan Raid That Raises

DoubtsBy Carlotta Gall with Eric Schmitt, New York Times, May 14, 2002

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, May 13 — American Special

Operations forces killed five people suspected of being fighters for Al

Qaeda or the Taliban and captured 32 others in a night raid in southern

Afghanistan on Sunday, military officials said today.

No Americans were injured in the clash 50 miles north of Kandahar, in

Oruzgan Province. But almost immediately some officials raised doubts

about the operation, and American officials acknowledged that the initial

questioning of those detained brought up no immediate indications that

the captives were Taliban or Qaeda fighters.

"So far we haven't found anyone of great interest in this group," a senior

military official said. "If they prove not to be bad guys, and were just in

the wrong place at the wrong time, we'll release them."

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History

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Keys to Success

Use SecDef, ASD-PA, and

Combatant commander news

briefings for your PAG, as the

published PAG will quickly be

overtaken by events

You do not work for higher HQ

PAO

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Keys to Success

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Media Relations

Your attitude towards media is critical

Are you there to hold them at arms length, do you tolerate them?

Or do you welcome them with open arms as a combat multiplier

Media are not like snakes, Media is terrain

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Media Relations Specifics

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Media Relations Specifics

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Media Relations

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Media Relations

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Embed media

Accept risk—of OPSEC violation and of a negative story

Put plan to embed in the OPORD

Get commanders on board

Don’t need a big plan, but brief commanders on what to say and what to expect

Trust soldiers

Embed ground rules

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News Conferences:

Ground Rules

Bench or chairs for scribblers

keeps them from creeping up on

you

Keeps briefer's eye contact

Outdoors/HMMWV vs. conf

room/podium

Light Discipline

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News Conferences:

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VIP coverage

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VIP Coverage

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Conclusion

With the proper attitude and TTPs, PA is a force multiplier

The American Army is good guys doing good things for a good reason

Accepting the premise above, to win the IO war, keep as many media as possible as close to you as possible