getting the message out
i’m not actually a member of the idaho national guard 116th brigade combat team, but i am a patriotic american, and i know how to read. so, when the public affairs officer (pao) captain monte hibbert of the 116th brigade combat team of the idaho national guard writes in the official newsletter of the 116th brigade combat team of the idaho national guard, snakebite (volume 4, issue 4, july 2004) providing tips on handling interviews, well, i just feel it’s my patriotic duty to fall in line with the troops. so, in case you don’t read snakebite, the official newsletter of the 116th brigade combat team of the idaho national guard, here are the tips that captain monte hibbert offers for dealing with that pesky press asking pesky questions about this important war effort that is making americans safer and ridding the world of evildoers:
snakebite [pdf, v4, i4, july 2004]When answering media questions, it is very helpful to refer to current command themes in your responses. This adds continuity to the message we are portraying as a unit. The current approved themes are printed below. Please incorporate them in your communications with the media and others.
1. We are proud to now be part of the nation’s active-duty Army.
2. We have come together from many states, communities and backgrounds to prepare to help stabilize Iraq and support the Iraqi people.
3. We look forward to unifying our combat power with that of other coalition forces in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
4. Our soldiers are among the best. They are smart and disciplined and are training with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.
5. Our love, respect and deepest appreciations go out to our families and employers who continue to support us in this mission.
now that you know the approved messages, you can skip those parts and get to the rest of the story….
[a nod to ap for providing the tip that led me to snakebite]
