Public Affairs Officers out there??

[Anonymous]

I'm considering enrolling in AFROTC classes and I was wondering if any public affairs officers could tell me a little about what they do and what their training was like after graduation. I've been told that I'm not guaranteed a position in public affairs, so if any personnel officers could tell me about their jobs, I would appreciate that too.

kmcgarey@hotmail.com

[Anonymous]

: I'm considering enrolling in AFROTC classes and I was wondering if any public
: affairs officers could tell me a little about what they do and what their
: training was like after graduation. I've been told that I'm not guaranteed
: a position in public affairs, so if any personnel officers could tell me
: about their jobs, I would appreciate that too.


Kristi,

Although this forum is EXCELLENT and very informative, I will say that your posting will receive little response on this forum. You may recv replies to your personal email otherwise, but this forum doesnt illicit responses to this type of question very much. My experience, in the past and currently, is to contact DIRECTLY, your local AFB near home and set up appts (if available) w/ officers who work in the AFSC you are considering. Personnel is a big area and you will need to consult the local AF OTS recruiter to be aware of the different 'shredouts'/breakdowns of each AFSC. I have recently sent out letters to my local AFB in Phx asking more information and person-person contacts to talk about each of their career experiences. I am just getting responses back after 2 weeks and have been told that I need to consult the shredouts to narrow down WHO EXACLTY I need to consult with. I, too, desire to be very informed about my preferences before putting them on paper. True, the AF needs are first, but I shouldnt be uninformed of my future otherwise.

Good luck in your search- Jen

PS- to see who is who at your local AF, consult af.mil and search the sites section and find your local AFB website and browse through. I sent letters to the commanding officers and have been contacted by those under them, as the XO's are busier and have less time to do this sorta work.

jv

jenatasu_2000@yahoo.com

[Anonymous]

: I'm considering enrolling in AFROTC classes and I was wondering if any public
: affairs officers could tell me a little about what they do and what their
: training was like after graduation. I've been told that I'm not guaranteed
: a position in public affairs, so if any personnel officers could tell me
: about their jobs, I would appreciate that too.


Hello,

I just discovered the militarywoman site today. I apologize that this response is so late, however, maybe you still have questions. I am and have been a public affairs officer in the Air Force. After six years in administration I became an enlisted public affairs technician completing the Department of Defense Information School in May 1980. I was commissioned in the Air Force Reserve as a public affairs officer in 1986 and also was a reserve technician (civil service civilian). I have worked base level public affairs, been assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs and finally served on active duty on the DoD 'press desk' at the Pentagon during Kosovo Operations in 1999.

I will say that the career field is a very exciting one and holds many rewards. It is a small career field and over the years you will meet many wonderful people. The military is becoming more "purple" which means working closely with other services. There are several basic areas within the career field: internal information; community relations; media relations and security policy review. Internal information is the area where you are responsible for keeping your internal audience (military members informed). This is done through base newspapers, websites, commander's calls, etc. Media relations is keeping the external audience informed through your dealings with the media. Depending on where you work and depending on the significance of the issue, this could range from the local news media, to national and even international media. You learn to get out the good stories and deal with the bad ones too. It is a balance between the media beating down your door (usually when something is bad) and you knocking on their doors to get your story out. This includes getting great information about your military members back to their hometown newspapers. Its part of the recruitment and retention effort.

Community relations is critical as you must be a good neighbor. Most bases have great working relationships with their local communities. Parades, science fairs, base tours, air shows, speaking engagements, civic leader tours, and the like fall in this category.

In the old days the training was at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. Now it is at Fort Meade, Maryland. A close PA friend of mine is on the staff there. I remember the technical school was about three months long. It probably hasn't changed much. The class are joint service too. That will give you an opportunity to meet your peers from other services.

I can assure you life won't be dull. In public affairs, you are a staff officer to the commander. Knowing your job is crucial. He or she will depend on your knowledge in the area when they make decisions. It could very well be what you think is minor can come under national scrutiny in a hurry. Then the big guys get involved. That's another thing too....when things mushroom, and they do at times, you have access all the way up the PA chain of command. You will always get plenty of support and advice.

I'm sure if this career area is for you, then you will enjoy it immensely. Good luck and feel free to email me. Maybe I know someone in your area you can talk to. We do have a PA worldwide directory and even an alumni association.



scallenaz@earthlink.net