Pre-deployment news. Basic Public Affairs Specialist Course Newswriting. The Defense Information School, Fort George G.

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1 Basic Public Affairs Specialist Course Pre-deployment news You will deploy. There is no other way to put it. You will deploy to tell the military story whether it is in Afghanistan, Iraq, Korea or any other place to be determined. No matter where you go, your story begins way before your boots ever touch the ground. As a military journalist, you will write stories and take photos about the deployment preparation, the actual deployment and the servicemembers homecoming. Your efforts will help inform the American public about the military s mission and the servicemembers sacrifices. Photo courtesy of Defense Imagery Definition and Purpose Special Considerations Basic Structure The Defense Information School, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland 1

2 Definition & Purpose A deployment might be as short as 30 days or as long as 15 months. Regardless of the duration, when military troops go into action, the public wants to know about it. The pre-deployment release informs the public and media of a unit s upcoming deployment. When a unit deploys, it impacts the economy, the community surrounding the installation and even the housing market. People in the community need to be informed of when troops will be leaving or coming into the area. This allows them to prepare for the effects of the troop movement. These stories also give the unit recognition and inform the public about how the military is spending their tax dollars. Photo courtesy of Defense Imagery 2 The Center of Excellence for Visual Information and Public Affairs

3 Special considerations First you must determine the type of mission -- humanitarian, combat or training operation? This will help you decide what information you can release to the media. y For example, if your unit is deploying for a hurricane relief effort, you can be more specific. But if you re invading an enemy country, you won t release specific details that could hinder operations. y If you are not sure what information is releasable, many times there is public affairs guidance from higher PA headquarters you can reference regarding upcoming deployments. The PAG will state the dos and don ts of an operation to help in drafting your story. If none is available, pick up the phone and call headquarters. 1. Generally, don t release the specific number of servicemembers deploying. Don t write: the unit of about 500 troops will deploy in support of 2. Never release exact dates and never release times when dealing with a combat operation. Imagine how valuable that information could be to any group or person who wants to cause harm to U.S. servicemembers. Remember, lives are at stake. Don t write: the unit is slated to deploy next month or the unit is set to deploy in December 3. Don t release specific details about the routes the unit will be taking. For example, you don t want to tell the media the unit will be traveling up Highway 1 from Kuwait to Baghdad. However, once the deployment is complete, you can release this type of information. While operational security considerations depend on the type of mission, SAPP considerations will not change. Deploying servicemembers and their families are going through an emotional time. When writing about the upcoming mission, don t include how many deaths the deployed unit had or how dangerous the mission is. The Defense Information School, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland 3

4 Basic structure A pre-deployment news story follows the same basic structure you ve been using in this course inverted pyramid. Like most of the news stories you will write, it should include the most important facts first. The lead will state the most important parts of the upcoming deployment. Remember, deployment stories must be written to inform while maintaining sensitivity to deploying servicemembers and their families. y The lead should contain the most important W s specifically the who, what, when and where of the news peg. y Be specific and concise, but remember to keep OPSEC in mind. Include general times and areas the unit is going to, and identify the mission. The bridge should conform to WAITS. You still need to maintain the guideline of words in the bridge, but this is a good place for the purpose of the mission. The body of the story should contain the rest of releasable information organized in descending order of importance. This is where you can include the length of the deployment, who the unit is replacing, and the approximate number of troops in the unit. You can also add information about training and how the unit prepared for this deployment. The Lead Approximately 150 soldiers from two units within the 62nd Medical Brigade here are scheduled to deploy to Kuwait in June in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Bridge The 551st Medical Company (Logistics) and 673rd Medical Company (Dental) will provide combat health care services to military members, contractors and coalition forces in the region. The Body Upon arrival in theater, the units will establish communication with combat support hospitals in the region to establish delivery protocols and emergency response plans. This is our third deployment to the region, so we re fully aware of the challenges ahead, said Capt. Mark A. Welde, a doctor who will command the 551st in Kuwait. 4 The Center of Excellence for Visual Information and Public Affairs

5 Basic Public Affairs Specialist Course Conclusion Deployments are a part of the job. People want to know about deployments. They affect everyone involved from the unit to the servicemember to the family and even the public. The Defense Information School, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland 5

6 References Goldstein, N. (2007). Associated Press style book and briefing on media law. Associated Press, New York Harrigan, J. & Dunlap, K. (2003). The editorial eye. Bedford/St. Martins, New York, New York Baskette, F., Sissors, J. & Brooks, B. (1997). The art of editing (6th ed.) Hohenberg, J. (1983). The professional journalist. Cengage Learning, Florence, KY. Mencher, M. (1999). News reporting and writing (8th ed.). The McGraw-Hill Companies, Seitel, F. (1994). The practice of public relations (6th ed.). Prentice Hall Professional Technical Reference. Lieter, K., Johnson, S., & Harriss, J. (1999). The complete reporter: Fundamentals of new gathering, writing, and editing. Pearson Itule, B., & Anderson, D. (2002). News writing and reporting for today s media (6th ed.). The McGraw-Hill Companies Ward, H. (1985). Professional newswriting. Harcourt College Publishers. Agee, W., Ault, P., & Emery, E. (1983). Reporting & writing the news. Harper & Row, New York. Fedler, F., Bender, J., & Davenport, L. (2000). Reporting for the media. Oxford University Press, Cary, NC. Rich, C. (1999). Writing and reporting news: A coaching method. Wadsworth Publishing, Florence, KY. 6 The Center of Excellence for Visual Information and Public Affairs