Photo By Capt. Olivia Cobiskey-Haftmann | Joint Public Affairs Support Element members, Thomas Webb (pictured left), and Thomas...... read more read more
NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va. - From May 13 - 17, six Joint Public Affairs Support Element personnel traveled to Camp Atterbury, Ind., to facilitate the public affairs and media training for some of the last assigned Provincial Reconstruction Teams who have routinely deployed to support operations in Afghanistan. For more than five years, JPASE has provided the academics and realistic training to enhance the PRTs’ familiarity of joint PA operations.
JPASE regularly provides mission-tailored joint PA skills and capabilities for joint warfighting requirements worldwide and their experience in the PA environment made them a perfect fit to lead the critical PRT training needed to successfully execute PA efforts downrange. JPASE’s joint expertise, global knowledge base and continued relationships with current PRTs in theater also significantly contributed to their high caliber training.
PRTs consist of individual augmentees from the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy who provide tactical support to Afghan provincial governors and local officials to unify efforts towards stability in their respective region. The PRTs regularly interact with the local populace which makes PA and media training a mission-critical skill set in the successful implementation of the PRT commander’s message.
“When these teams deploy they become the face of the U.S. military in Afghanistan and being able to provide this direct support and training that prepares the PRTs for media engagements in country is rewarding for us as PA experts,” said Mr. Tom Mullican, a JPASE planner who has supported PRT training since 2009. “Providing this training to the PRTs has been one of the more satisfying and exciting opportunities I have supported.”
As the joint PA trainer for the Department of Defense (DOD), JPASE’s in-depth understanding of joint doctrine brought an added credibility to the PRT training environment. The designated PRT PAs may have limited prior experience in real-world PA activities. However, with a training curriculum that reinforces joint doctrine and its practical application, the PRTs quickly become familiar with the essential PA skill sets and current processes used in theater.
Using a crawl, walk, run teaching style, JPASE provides the students with an introduction to PA requirements and processes and an in-depth understanding of how to prepare their leadership for media engagements. Next, JPASE reinforces the PA role in potential PRT operations by building the PRT commanders’ awareness of PA requirements and familiarizing them with PA processes and activities. Lastly, during the culminating practical exercise for both the PRT commanders and their respective PA Officers (PAO), JPASE simulates a Pentagon press conference interview based on a scenario related to the region of Afghanistan they will be supporting.
During each phase of the training, the PRT commanders and their PAO receive direct feedback to improve their ability to fulfill PA requirements. Additionally, the PAs develop value-added products they can use once they arrive in country.
JPASE frequently corresponds with contacts from the U.S. Central Command area of operations based on their global mission. JPASE’s extensive network within the PA arena has helped evolve the PRT training over the years and ensure the information provided is relevant and up-to-date.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Paul Hayes, the lead PRT trainer from JPASE said, “JPASE’s real-world experience and our continuous participation in training exercises with some of the top-level commands in the area of operations, such as International Security Assistance Force and ISAF Joint Command, allowed us to reach out to our PA counterparts for current messaging, processes and best points of contact downrange to keep our training viable and accurate.”
Since their initial involvement in 2008, JPASE has also maintained close relations with PRTs downrange. This strong association with PA experts in the AOR allows JPASE to provide the latest information on current processes and topics in each region and incorporate the necessary lessons learned to improve each iteration of the training.
“We have maintained great relations with the PAs we have taught which allowed us to solicit direct feedback from previous PRTs to adjust our training and link the new PRTs with their predecessors,” said Hayes.
JPASE continues to provide their expertise to enhance joint PA capabilities across DOD. After years of refining their PA training, JPASE’s active role in preparing the PRTs for a variety of PA-related activities has directly contributed to the PRTs’ ability to fulfill requirements downrange.
| Date Taken: | 06.24.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 06.25.2013 08:42 |
| Story ID: | 109212 |
| Location: | NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 72 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, JPASE culminates five years of training support to Provincial Reconstruction Teams, by Julianne Sympson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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